CAMPUS & METRO
MEN’S HOCKEY
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The call, made early Friday morning, could be untraceable.
Kyle Rau stars for the Gophers, but he still takes some time for himself.
Her new deal will pay her $435,000 annually over the next six seasons.
University professor gets threatening voicemail
Rau keeps quiet amid on-ice success
u See PAGE 3
Stollings introduced as new head coach
u See PAGE 9
SUNNY HIGH 72° LOW 43°
U OF M
MINNEAPOLIS
ST PAUL
u See PAGE 10
WEDNESDAY
APRIL 9, 2014
ONLINE EXCLUSIVES AT MNDAILY.COM
ADMINISTRATION
the
aftermath University of Minnesota student Anarae Schunk died in September. Every day since, her family has struggled to put together the pieces of a new and foreign life.
U maps out long-term mission Every president establishes broad goals for the University, and Kaler’s will roll out in fall. BY HALEY HANSEN hhansen@mndaily.com
With ever y new wave of University of Minnesota leaders, the institution re-establishes goals to hold the administration accountable and make sure the school is moving forward. The plan under University President Eric Kaler’s administration is underway and will launch this fall. Though most strategic plans come and go with the administrations that created them — and with little accountability for achieving what they set out to do — this plan has been touted as more aggressive than its predecessors. Officials say the plan is intended to ensure that members of the University community are working toward similar goals and that measures to evaluate success are uniform across departments and colleges. “It’s important for all of us to feel like we’re accomplishing something and for students to feel that their education is as good as it can be,” Senior Vice President for u See PLAN Page 3
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Grad students question Senate election process Mariana Schunk sits in the living room of her family’s Burnsville home Saturday, March 8. A collage Anarae made of their family hangs above Mariana’s head along with other family photos.
A
Words by Emma Nelson & Meghan Holden
Photo by Bridget Bennett
narae Schunk’s room student’s death in September, the house hasn’t changed. where her family has lived since just beClothes hang in fore her birth has become too still. her closet, a pair There are more than 20 years of signs of her shoes sits of Anarae. For each one, her mother has a neatly near the door story. and books line her Mariana Schunk, 60, laughs remembers h e l v e s — “ T h e ing her daughter attaching a Christmas Chronicles of Narnia,” “Life of Pi,” edges bow to a photo of herself on the piano in worn and greyed. On a full-length mirror the living room. She smiles when pointing hanging on the door, “You are beautiful” to a collage Anarae made with a series of is written in dry erase marker, staining the photos: Mariana and her husband, Monty, glass with the round, lilting penmanship of at their wedding, a shawl joining their a young girl. shoulders and wreaths crowning their Outside, a wall is lined with trophies heads; nearly identical baby photos of from chess tournaments, and a table Mariana and Anarae stacked one over the where she used to tutor elementary and other, which people often confuse. middle school students is still set up. But after the University of Minnesota see AFTERMATH page 6
Turnout was low and most graduate and professional candidates ran as write-ins. BY BLAIR EMERSON bemerson@mndaily.com
After a recent change to the Student Senate’s bylaws that guaranteed seats to graduate and professional students, some scrambled to run as write-in candidates before last week’s election. But because the bylaw amendment took effect so late in the process, some graduate student leaders are now taking issue with how the election was handled. Graduate and professional students weren’t previously guaranteed senate seats proportional to their representation in individual colleges. To change that, Council of Graduate Students President Andrew McNally proposed the bylaw amendment at last month’s Student Senate meeting. Last year, a bylaw amendment removed the Graduate School as a voting unit and grouped undergraduates and graduates together within their respective colleges. Though McNally’s amendment, which u See ELECTION Page 5
STUDENT GROUPS
Crowd split on Coulter The conservative author and columnist spoke to a crowd of about 100 on Tuesday evening. BY TAYLOR NACHTIGAL tnachtigal@mndaily.com
Outspoken conser vative author and pundit Ann Coulter, was met with support and some opposition at her speech in Willey Hall on Tuesday night. The speech glided through a number of controversial topics — including health care reform, gun control and immigration — infusing anecdotes and jests met, mixed reactions from the crowd The event was partially sponsored by two University student groups, but it was mostly older community members who filled about 100 seats in the West Bank auditorium. Only a handful of students uninvolved with the sponsoring organizations attended, and many of them weren’t Coulter supporters.
Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow, the larger of two student groups cosponsoring the speech, declined to comment for this story. Students for a Conservative Voice was the other group. Political science sophomore Mason Schraufnagael said it’s beneficial for the University to hear from conservative leaders like Coulter, who he thinks are often underrepresented on campus. “I think it’s important we are here and to acknowledge ideas that we don’t really see a lot ’cause most of the campus is liberal … even if we don’t agree with it,” he said. Tuesday’s visit was one of Coulter’s regular speaking engagements at college campuses and other venues. She’s promoting her new book, “Never Trust a Liberal over 3 — Especially a Republican.” Coulter visits campuses frequently, and she’s been met with stern opposition at times. u See COULTER Page 4
HOLLY PETERSON, DAILY
Conservative author and columnist Ann Coulter talks politics and more at Willey Hall on Tuesday.
VOLUME 115 ISSUE 100
2
Daily Review
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1865 Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders his 28,000 troops to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the American Civil War. HISTORYCHANNEL.COM/TDIH
CAMPUS Vol. 115 Wednesday, April 9, 2014, No. 100
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WORLD BRIEFING
Ukraine tries to rein in violent uprisings near Russian border accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest as a pretext for another Russian military incursion like the takeover of Crimea last month. Up to 40,000 Russian troops are massed along the Ukrainian border, according to NATO. All the cities af fected by the uprisings are in Ukraine’s industrial heartland in the east, which has a large population of ethnic Russians and where hostility is strong toward the government that took power in February after the ouster of Kremlin-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych. European Union envoy Catherine Ashton said she will meet with U.S., Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers next week to discuss the situation — the first four-way meeting since the crisis erupted. In Washington, Secretar y of State John Kerr y threatened tougher economic sanctions against Moscow. “What we see from Russia is an illegal and illegitimate effort to destabilize a sovereign state and create
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DONETSK, Ukraine — Ukrainian authorities moved to quell pro-Moscow uprisings along the Russian border with mixed results Tuesday, retaking one occupied regional headquarters and watching protesters consolidate their hold on another. In a third city, Luhansk, Ukraine’s Security Ser vice said separatists armed with explosives and other weapons were holding 60 people hostage inside the agency’s local headquarters. Those occupying the building issued a video statement saying they want a referendum on the region’s status and warning that any attempt to storm the place would be met with armed force. In the video, posted by Ukrainian media, a masked man identified the occupiers as Ukrainian veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and said that if authorities tr y to retake the building, “Welcome to hell, then!” The Ukrainian government and the U.S. have
a contrived crisis with paid operatives across an international boundar y,” Kerr y told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kerry called the demonstrations in eastern Ukraine a “contrived pretext for military intervention just as we saw in Crimea.” Earlier Tuesday, Ukrainian authorities battled pr o-Russian pr otesters and regained control over a gover nment building in Kharkiv, the countr y’s second-largest city, evicting the protesters and detaining dozens. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov told Parliament that several police were injured during the Kharkiv clashes with what he termed separatists. In Donetsk, a city 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Kharkiv, protesters dug in for their third day at the 11-stor y regional administration headquarters they captured on Sunday and began forming their own parallel government. Serhiy Taruta, the governor of Donetsk, scoffed
at the shifting events in his city. “I call this a theater of the absurd,” he said. “It is just artists performing, but the main thing is that there is an ever-dwindling audience.” There was little sign T uesday after noon that Ukrainian government forces had any immediate plans to clear the regional administration building, and Taruta insisted he wanted to see the situation resolved peacefully. The city has been the site of weekly rallies and marches, but Sunday saw an escalation of that strategy when masked men carrying batons burst through police lines to take over the building. By Tuesday, 6-foot walls of car tires wrapped in razor wire had been erected against any attempt to storm the place. On Monday, the demonstrators declared the creation of a sovereign Donetsk Republic and called for a referendum on the issue to be held no later than May 11.
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Spanish Parliament Pistorius wails, recalling shooting rejects Catalonia bid BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PRETORIA, South Africa — A subdued Oscar Pistorius on Tuesday described dinner at home, chatting and looking at cell phone photos with Reeva Steenkamp on the last night of her life. Then he erupted in anguished howls and heaving sobs while testifying at his murder trial about the moments when he says he realized he shot his girlfriend through a closed toilet door. The shocking spectacle of what appeared to be a tormented man highlighted the drama of Pistorius’ inspirational rise and sudden fall. The South African double-amputee runner captured the world’s attention when he successfully fought for permission to run in the 2012 Olympics on his carbonfiber prostheses. The very next year, he was facing charges for killing the woman he said he loved. The court in Pretoria, the South African capital, adjourned because of the star athlete’s breakdown, ending a day in which Pistorius spoke of the loving aspects of his relationship with Steenkamp in testimony designed to counter a prosecution picture of him as temperamental and overbearing, and then outlined his version of the final hours before the shooting. “I sat over Reeva and I cried,” Pistorius said, telling how he broke open the stall door in his bathroom in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013 to discover his bloodied girlfriend slumped in the cubicle. “I don’t know how long I was there for.” Pistorius has said in statements that he shot Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder in his bathroom. Tuesday marked the first time he has spoken publicly about the details of the fatal shooting. Prosecutors call Pistorius’ story an intricate lie and maintain he intentionally killed his 29-year-old girlfriend, a model and reality TV show star, after an argument.
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MADRID — Spain’s Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a petition by the power ful nor theastern Catalonia region to allow an independence referendum, a decision that is likely to increase the divide between both sides. The request was voted down, 299-47, with one abstention, after nearly seven hours of debate. Catalonia’s pro-independence sentiment has exploded recently amid objections over how the region is treated by the central government. Many in the region located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula are convinced that independence would benefit them economically. But the issue is politically fraught, with many lawmakers arguing that Catalonians alone cannot decide something that affects all of Spain. The referendum has stirred debate about whether Spain’s 1978 Constitution should be reformed to devolve more power and to calm territorial unease. Conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy reiterated that it simply wasn’t possible to grant permission for a vote, which he said was prohibited by the constitution. “The door is wide open for those who are not happy with the way things are: Start with reforming the constitution,” Rajoy said. However, Catalonian lawmaker Joan Herrera argued that a “no” vote would only “increase the difference” between Catalonia and Spain because Catalonians were not being allowed to exercise what they see as their right to decide their future. Catalonia, with a population of 7.5 million, represents roughly a fifth of Spain’s 1.1 trillion euro ($1.5 trillion) GDP. Like other regions in Spain, it has its own language as well as Spanish, and substantial autonomy.
EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST THURSDAY HIGH 64° LOW 45° Partly sunny
FRIDAY HIGH 63° LOW 37°
Chance of rain
SATURDAY HIGH 64° LOW 43° Chance of rain
SUNDAY HIGH 52° LOW 30° Cloudy
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errors@mndaily.com The Minnesota Daily strives for complete accuracy and corrects its errors immediately. Corrections and clarifications will always be printed in this space. If you believe the Daily has printed a factual error, please call the readers’ representative at (612) 627–4070, extension 3057, or email errors@mndaily.com immediately. THE MINNESOTA DAILY is a legally independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and is a student-written and student-managed newspaper for the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus. The Daily’s mission is: 1) to provide coverage of news and events affecting the University community; 2) to provide a forum for the communication and exchange of ideas for the University community; 3) to provide educational training and experience to University students in all areas of newspaper operations; and 4) to operate a fiscally responsible organization to ensure its ability to serve the University in the future. The Daily is a member of the Minnesota News Council, the Minnesota Associated Press, the Associated Collegiate Press, The Minnesota Newspaper Association and other organizations. The Daily is published Monday through Thursday during the regular school year and weekly during the summer, and it is printed by ECM Publishers in Princeton, Minn. Midwest News Service distributes the 22,000 issues daily. All Minnesota Daily inserts are recyclable within the University of Minnesota program and are at least 6 percent consumer waste. One (1) copy of The Minnesota Daily per person is free at newsstands in and around the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents each. U.S. Postal Service: 351–480.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
3
Kaler readies long-term plan for University
University professor gets threatening voicemail
Plan
The call, made early Friday morning, could be untraceable.
u from Page 1
Academic Affairs and Provost Karen Hanson said. Of ficials who created the plan are in the process of establishing benchmarks so the goals are accurately measured. Hanson said these guidelines will serve as a baseline for many years to come. Kaler appointed students, faculty and staff members last fall to iron out the plan’s details and provide their expertise during the drafting phase. Minnesota Student Association officer Mick Hedberg, one of two students in the workgroup, said some of the plan’s goals coincide with each other. “[They’re] not just for the set individuals that are leading the discussion,” he said. “This is something that is going to be applicable to everyone in the University in some way.” Including a diversity of voices in the planning process also makes sure that the University has a large enough budget to achieve its goals, said workgroup member and graduate student Meghan Mason. All of this is part of making sure the plan lasts. “We need to keep our institutions as strong as possible,” Hanson said, “and we do that by not becoming complacent, by looking at what we’ve got and thinking how we can build this into something even better.”
“This is something that is going to be applicable to everyone in the University in some way.” MICK HEDBERG Minnesota Student Association officer
Outside the Twin Cities
University campuses throughout the state create similar plans, each with their own focus. Every school within the five-campus system has its own process of developing goals, and they are currently in different stages of implementation. The planning process sets aside valuable time for administrators to assess campuses and identify their individual strengths and specialties, Duluth Chancellor Lendley Black said. “No university can be all things to all people,” he said. “And so it’s important that we have a good sense of our
TWIN CITIES CAMPUS’ GOAL AREAS Build an exceptional University where grand societal challenges are addressed.
BY JESSICA LEE jlee@mndaily.com
Support excellence and, with intention, reject complacency.
A University of Minnesota professor spearheading an effort to cancel Condoleezza Rice’s campus visit received a threatening voicemail on his office line early Friday. W illiam Messing re-
Establish a culture of reciprocal engagement, capitalizing on our unique location. Aggressively recruit, retain and promote field-shaping researchers and teachers. SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AND PROVOST, STRATEGIC-PLANNING.UMN.EDU
strengths [and] a good sense of the character of our institution.” The Crookston campus is midway through the planning process, said Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Barbara Keinath, and is moving more quickly than the Twin Cities campus because the school is smaller. Crookston’s three-par t proposal focuses on increasing enrollment numbers, highlighting philanthropy efforts and promoting the school as a community resource. Just like the other campuses, Rochester releases reports that aim to increase accountability, evaluate the school’s challenges and establish priorities. The current goal centers on how the school can better help students who are entering health science fields. The Morris campus has the oldest active plan, adopted in 2006. It focuses on recruiting faculty and students, as well as improving communication and effectively using campus resources. Morris Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson said the school is satisfied with progress so far, noting that it’s critical that plans remain active and schools follow them. Although these black-andwhite guidelines are helpful, Keinath said, they can sometimes be difficult to push forward over a long period of time. “It’s a challenge for any organization to put the time and energy to strategic planning and keep living it out,” she said. Hanson said the University is not alone in formulating these goals, and people — even those beyond just students, faculty and staff — will benefit for years to come. “I think at regular intervals, institutions as complicated as these take stock and figure out where they should be going,” she said.
SAN FRANCISCO — Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that if Silicon Valley executives want to persuade Congress to let them hire more high-skilled professionals from abroad, they would have a better case if they also funded collegebased training programs for U.S. workers. The former secretary of state described herself as a champion for Internet freedom and believer in the power of social media at a conference for marketing professionals in San Francisco, the first stop on a multi-day speaking tour that will take her to three Western states. She recalled how she pushed diplomats to use Twitter and Tumblr to communicate with citizens in foreign countries and to offer assistance to fledgling political movements in Iran and Egypt. “I made it my personal mission to stand up for Internet freedom and against the repressive censorship we see, particularly in China and Russia, because the freedom to connect is a universal right,” said Clinton, addressing several thousand people at a customer conference hosted by Marketo, a Silicon Valley maker
of marketing software. Following her speech, Marketo CEO Phil Fernandez told Clinton, a potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, that increasing the number of H-1B visas the U.S. awards to skilled foreign workers each year was a top concern of his and other tech leaders. Clinton said allowing more foreign professionals into the U.S. could help boost the economy by fueling technological innovations and should be part of a plan for comprehensive immigration reform. But she added that there is more Silicon Valley leaders can do to help their cause. She said that with immigration legislation stalled in the House, tech leaders might have more luck winning over “the skeptics on the Hill” if they devoted more money toward preparing the domestic labor force for tech jobs. “There ought to be more of a partnership,” she said. “There is a lot of cash sitting around in Silicon Valley.” Fernandez also asked Clinton to share her thoughts on two other issues increasingly confronting California’s technology companies — the low numbers of women ser ving on corporate boards or in top
versity police of ficer J a s o n To s s e y, w h o i s investigating the case, the unidentified speaker in Friday’s phone call said “I think you should be waterboarded in the future.” “It definitely caused the professor some fear,” Tossey said. Tossey confirmed Monday afternoon that the call didn’t originate from a Minnesota Daily office line and said that Messing had accidentally given police the wrong number.
A statement is considered a criminal threat if it declares immediate action, according to Minnesota statute. Tossey said the incident doesn’t meet those guidelines. He said the caller may be untraceable, and he will likely deactivate the case by Wednesday. Messing sponsored a failed resolution to the University Senate last week, requesting the Humphrey School of Public Affairs revoke Rice’s April 17 speaking invitation.
Queen hosts Irish president on 1st UK visit BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Amid regal pomp at Queen Elizabeth II’s Windsor Castle home, the Irish president and the British monarch have begun Ireland’s first state visit to Britain with expressions of mutual affection and respect — and a shared determination to consign national hatreds to a sorrowtinged past. President Michael D. Higgins, Ireland’s elfin head of state, was guest of honor at a royal banquet that brought together former enemies in Northern Ireland and leading politicians and celebrities of Britain and Ireland, including Judi Dench and Daniel DayLewis. Gathered together on one massive 160-seat table, they heard the queen and Higgins pledge to lead their nations into a new era of friendship. Higgins’ trip — on his country’s first state visit to Britain since Ireland won independence nearly a century ago — underscores how much the success of Northern Ireland peacemaking has transformed wider relations between the two longtime adversaries since the 1990s, when Irish Republican Army car bombs were still detonating in London. It comes three years after the queen, defying threats from IRA splinter groups still seeking to wreck the peace, made her own inaugural visit to the Republic of Ireland, where a British monarch last visited in 1911, when all of Ireland was still part of the United Kingdom. As she toasted the health of the Irish nation, Elizabeth said she had loved her Irish visit and found it “even more pleasing since then that we, the Irish and British, are becoming good and
Clinton urges technology leaders to invest in further employee training BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ported a terroristic threat to University police Monday after noon, according to a University police report. Upon initial contact, the mathematics professor gave law enforcement officials the wrong phone number — a Minnesota Daily reporter’s desk line — as the source of the call. The reporter had called Messing on March 28 to interview him for a story on Rice’s visit, and he had called back on March 31. According to Uni-
leadership positions and the way Silicon Valley’s wealth is driving up the cost of housing. On affordable housing, Clinton said that the private sector could do more to help the government subsidize housing, not just for the poorest residents, but for teachers, police officers and other members of the middle class who are being priced out of the communities where they work. “Inequality of the kind we are now experiencing is bad for individuals, bad for our economy, bad for our democracy,” she said. Clinton acknowledged that the comparative lack of women in leadership posts was a tough problem. But she said companies need to make sure they are bringing out the best in all employees, including young men. She drew loud laughs as she described her own journey growing “skin like a rhinoceros” and learning not to take criticism personally, but seriously. “For a lot of women, the messages you get coming up in the professional world are famously contradictory,” she said. “You are leaning in because people say lean in, but if you lean in too much other people say, ‘Back off!’”
dependable neighbors and better friends, finally shedding our inhibitions about seeing the best in each other.” The queen managed a rare joke as she lauded the role of Irish immigrants in Britain’s public, academic and cultural life. She recalled her own surprise role in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, when she performed in a film alongside James Bond star Daniel Craig — before a stuntman dressed as the monarch parachuted live into the stadium. “It took someone of Irish descent, Danny Boyle, to get me to jump from a helicopter,” she said to laughter, referring to the show’s director. More significantly, the queen criticized how Irish immigrants to Britain used to experience “discrimination and a lack of appreciation.” She said a peaceful future would require Britain and Ireland to be “respectful of each other’s nationhood, sovereignty and traditions, cooperating to our mutual benefit, at ease in each other’s company. After so much checkered history, the regrettable pain of which is still felt by many of us, this goal is now within reach.” She signaled her intention to return to Ireland for the 100th anniversary commemorations of its Easter Rising, a shor t-lived 1916 Dublin rebellion that inspired Ireland’s later war of independence. Even a few years ago, the idea of British royals attending celebrations of one of the most anti-British events in Irish history would have seemed farcical, if not dangerous. Not now. “My family and my government will stand alongside you, Mr. President, and
your ministers, throughout the anniversaries ... of the events that led to the creation of the Irish Free State,” she said, using the original name of what became the Republic of Ireland. Earlier Tuesday, Higgins delivered the first speech by an Irish president to the joint Houses of Parliament, where he declared that both nations had attained “a closeness and warmth that once seemed unachievable.” Previous Irish presidents toured England and met the queen in several official trips since 1993 as part of early peacemaking efforts. But a formal state visit with full honors had been repeatedly postponed because of security and diplomatic sensitivities. Higgins, a left-wing politician, poet and human rights activist who was elected to the ceremonial post in 2011, said the two nations’ relationship had gone “from the doubting eyes of estrangement to the tr usting eyes of par tnership and, in recent years, to the welcoming eyes of friendship.” “Our two countries can take immense pride in the progress of the cause of peace in Nor thern Ireland,” he said. “There is of course still a road to be traveled, the road of a lasting and creative reconciliation.” When Higgins arrived at Windsor Castle, a militar y band played Ireland’s mar tial national anthem, “The Soldier’s Song,” as the queen and her husband Prince Philip welcomed the president and his wife, Sabina, into the castle quadrangle. Outside, Irish tricolors and Union Jacks lined the streets of Windsor for the star t of Higgins’ four-day
tour of England. Also taking part in royal events for the first time is Martin McGuinness, once a senior IRA commander, now deputy leader of Nor thern Ireland’s unity government. He boycotted the queen’s 2011 visit to Ireland. Before Tuesday’s banquet, McGuinness chatted animatedly with the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland, David Cameron and Enda Kenny, but was not seen to exchange any words with the queen. More than 3,600 people were killed during the fourdecade conflict over Northern Ireland. The main faction of the IRA killed nearly 1,800 people — among them the queen’s cousin, Lord Louis Mountbatten —during its failed effort to force Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom. Experts say McGuinness was the IRA’s chief of staff when the group assassinated Mountbatten in 1979. Higgins paid silent tribute to Mountbatten, as well as to Britain’s dead from the two world wars, during a tour of Westminster Abbey, where a plaque on the abbey floor honors Mountbatten, a World War II hero who was Britain’s last viceroy to India. The 79-year-old shunned personal security when holidaying in the Republic of Ireland; an IRA remote-control bomb killed him, two teenage boys and an 83-year-old woman. For all its symbolism of reconciliation, the queen’s banquet invitation for McGuinness dismayed some IRA victims. Stephen Gault, whose father was one of 11 Protestant civilians killed in an IRA bombing in 1987, said it was “another nail in the coffin of the innocent victims of terrorism.”
4
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
U researchers studying Venezuela’s opposition to patient retention in trials meet with gov’t A University adjunct professor got a grant to study why Parkinson’s patients choose to stay in or leave clinical trials. BY ALLISON KRONBERG akronberg@mndaily.com
Kim Erickson, 59, had to retire early from his job as an airline pilot after he learned that he had Parkinson’s disease. Since then, he’s participated in several clinical trials that he says could help find a cure. But in that sense, he’s a rare case. Less than 1 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease participate in clinical trials, and many end up dropping out before a trial’s completion. Without enough patients, researchers can’t complete the trials that are necessar y to advance treatment options. To find out why Parkinson’s patients might choose to stick with clinical trials until their completion — or more often, why not — University of Minnesota adjunct neurology professor Martha Nance got a $20,000 grant from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation last month. Nance is the medical director at Struthers Parkinson’s Center, the only National Parkinson’s Foundation-cer tified center of excellence in Minnesota. Members of the center provide clinical care, offer rehabilitation support and conduct research. “I think this research will be really important as we and others design studies in the future to know what it is like from the patient perspective,” Nance said. “What’s keeping patients from wanting to participate in studies or wanting to
stick with it once they’re in them?” According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, 90 percent of all clinical studies in the U.S. have to extend their original timelines to enroll enough participants. Clinical trials are human research studies that aim to answer questions or find new treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s, Nance said. Patients can choose to participate and may choose to leave at any time perhaps because of the time commitment or testing inconveniences.
Improving treatments
Up to one million Americans and an estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide have the disease, according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Although the disease varies by individual, the most common symptoms are tremors, slowness of movement, rigidity of different body parts and trouble with balance. After Erickson retired, he said he had to start taking medication ever y day. Unlike many other patients, he’s had relatively few symptoms so far. “It hasn’t affected a tremendous amount of my lifestyle, but unfortunately, in the future that might change,” Erickson said. “… I have a couple young granddaughters, and I would love to be part of finding a cure of a disease they may inherit.” Because of the disease’s
PARKINSON’S DISEASE
BY THE NUMBERS
10 million PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
ARE LIVING WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE.
1AMERICANS millionLIVE WITH
PARKINSON’S DISEASE.
60,000
AMERICANS ARE DIAGNOSED WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE EACH YEAR.
4% OF PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE ARE DIAGNOSED BEFORE THE AGE OF 50.
$25 billion IS ESTIMATED TO BE SPENT
ON PARKINSON’S DISEASE PER YEAR IN AMERICA.
$2,500
A YEAR IS SPENT ON EACH PERSON WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE ON AVERAGE. SOURCE: PARKINSON’S DISEASE FOUNDATION
complexity and var ying symptoms, Erickson said, current treatments can have unpleasant side effects and can’t be delivered in standard doses to each patient. Patricia Ede, a research nurse clinician at Struthers who has helped facilitate clinical trials for nine years, proposed the idea to Nance of studying patient retention in clinical trials. The researchers plan to send a one-page questionnaire to 70 patients who have been involved in clinical studies at Struthers over the past three years, to ask what they liked and disliked about the process. “I can make the assumption that travel, appointment
time of day and staff friendliness are important,” Ede said, “but I don’t know that until these patients send it back and tell us.” Erickson, who is par t of the foundation’s Parkinson’s Advocates in Research program, helped Ede and Nance formulate the patientdirected questions along with other patient advocates. He said he hopes that a better understanding of why patients stay in clinical trials will lead to more participation. While researchers of other diseases can just study blood samples, Parkinson’s researchers need to study the brain through clinical trials in order to better understand it and advance treatment, Nance said. The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation has provided training to more than 230 Research Advocates in the past decade. In 2014, the foundation plans to award a total of $5 million towar d Parkinson’s research programs. The University Medical School, College of Pharmacy, School of Public Health and College of Science and Engineering together have received more than $11 million in grants to study Parkinson’s disease over the past five years, according to data from the Office of the Vice President for Research. Nance said she hopes their research will help inform other researchers developing clinical trials in the future. “We have a strong belief that there’s much more to doing well with Parkinson’s than just taking a bunch of pills,” she said.
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s opposition has agreed to sit down with President Nicolas Maduro’s government for talks aimed at defusing the nation’s political crisis, now entering its third month. The announcement followed a closed-door meeting Tuesday between Maduro and representatives of the opposition. The two sides agreed that talks aimed at reconciliation would be held in public and would begin shortly under the super vision of the foreign ministers from Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, as well the Vatican’s diplomatic envoy in Venezuela. The opposition, which for weeks had resisted Maduro’s invitation for dialogue, changed course after receiving assurances from visiting South American diplomats that the socialist government is open to discussing a four-point agenda it has put for th as a star ting point for talks. Their proposals include an amnesty for jailed gover nment opponents, the creation of an independent tr uth commission to determine who is to blame for violence and the disarmament of groups loyal to Maduro. While mistr ust is still running high, just the opposition’s willingness to sit down with the government represents a potential br eakthr ough that could help ease tensions after two months of deadly protests that have rocked Venezuela but so far pose little threat to Maduro’s rule. Still many obstacles
remain, foremost among them recalcitrance of students, who didn’t par take in Tuesday’s meeting with Maduro and are unlikely to abandon the streets anytime soon. Flanked by South American diplomats, Vice President Jorge Ar reaza said the two-and-a-half hour preliminar y meeting Tuesday between Maduro and members of the Democratic Unity alliance, including its executive secretar y, Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, was cordial. The gover nment says at least 39 people have been killed and hundreds more injured and arrested since students and mostly middle-class opponents of Maduro took to the streets in early Febr uar y to condemn rampant crime, galloping inflation and record shor tages of basic goods after 15 years of socialist rule. Many also have called for Maduro to resign, leading his suppor ters to accuse the opposition of tr ying to foment a coup. The U.S., which has sided with the opposition in criticizing Maduro’s crackdown on the protests and jailing of critics, says it is suppor ting ef for ts to bring about dialogue. Testifying Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretar y of State John Kerr y pushed back against calls by Florida Republican Marco Rubio that the U.S. impose sanctions against the Maduro gover nment for alleged human rights abuses, saying that with negotiations a possibility, now isn’t the time for taking a tougher stance.
France’s new prime minister wins confidence vote from lawmakers BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PARIS — French lawmakers gave their countr y’s new prime minister a vote of confidence Tuesday that is seen as an endorsement of his plans for an economic tur naround built on tax cuts and slashing bureaucracy to the extent of redrawing the map of France. Manuel Valls appeared before the Socialist-led N a tio na l A s s em b ly fo r the first time since he was given the job in a government reshuf fle triggered by his par ty’s dismal showing in local elections, and won 306-239 votes. Eleven Socialist deputies abstained. Despite the positive result, selling the proposals of a deeply unpopular president to his own Socialist lawmakers, Valls earlier acknowledged that the Socialist defeat in recent elections showed a France of “too much suf fering and not enough hope.” Both allies and French conser vatives are suspi-
cious of the economic tur naround he is supposed to lead — and the 50 billion euros ($69 billion) he promised to cut from the budget by 2017. W ith une m p lo y m en t hovering around 10 percent for more than five years, minuscule economic growth, and a public debt that is a source of tension with the EU, Valls and his boss, President Francois Hollande, will need more than just confidence — they’re hoping the vote will give them much needed room to maneuver. At stake are jobs for 3 million unemployed French workers and prospects for the entire eurozone economy. The Spanish-born Valls has carefully built a reputation as an uncompromising iconoclast. In 2009, he called on the Socialist Par ty to abandon the name “because the word ‘socialism’ is without a doubt outdated. It recalls 19th-centur y ideas.” Valls remained in the par ty, as
did the word “Socialist.” In 2011, he said the 35-hour workweek was holding France back. The policy aims to boost employment by limiting employees’ work hours, but has been criticized as ineffectual. As interior minister, he weathered intense criticism that he was violating the rights of the itinerant Roma population when his of ficers dismantled their camps and sent them packing. Then he came under attack for banning the shows of comedian Dieudonne, whose Nazilike salute touched of f allegations of anti-Semitism. But as Hollande’s popularity tanked — the president now has a 17-percent approval rating, according to one measure — Valls’ has steadily climbed. His new job is primarily as salesman of Hollande’s economic plan, which on Tuesday Valls said would include massive cuts to payroll taxes that rank among the world’s highest, cutting the corporate
income tax to 28 percent from 33 percent, and 5.5 billion euros in tax cuts for middle-class workers and merchants. Insisting that the aim is to increase “what you’re getting at the end of the month,” he said the cuts would mean that workers ear ning the 1,350-euroa-month minimum wage would end up with 500 extra euros a year, for example. Much of Valls’s speech reiterated what had already been promised before — including cutting in half the number of administrative regions — but the hope is that his popularity will give households and businesses the confidence France needs to tur n the economy around. Va l l s e a t s o n l y r e d meat — never fish — with his meals and maintains a gluten-free diet (no pastries), according to a repor t in the French daily Le Figaro that may have ser ved only to enhance his reputation for austerity and toughness.
Neither one of those qualities is especially valued among French Socialists, who fear economic austerity will erode the countr y’s famed safety net, cost them their hold on power, and still fail to bring the deficit back within the EU limit of 3 per cent of GDP, which France has missed since 2007. “The question is whether you have a political class that is willing to commit seppuku — honorable suicide — by doing something for the countr y,” said Daniel Gros, director of the Br usselsbased Center for European Policy Studies. “That is what they need to do in France, and the longer they wait the more painful it will be.” Many economic analysts predict the EU will give France a pass this year on its deficit, as it has ever y year. After Valls’ appointment last week, Medef, the countr y’s largest employers’ association, said the question went well
beyond the Socialists’ dismal election results to the hear t of France’s ability to compete in Europe and beyond. “Our countr y has been losing ground little by little for years,” Pierre Gattaz, Medef ’s president, said in a statement. But many question whether Valls’ main purpose is to repackage old, failed ideas. “The change in person is meaningless unless it also means a change in policy direction, and that is ultimately decided at least in France by the president himself,” Gros said. “One can only hope that the same man can have dif ferent ideas now and actually put them into action.” Valls himself was cautious, tr ying to sell new policies to a countr y that is prone to violent protest and crippling strikes. “We have to deal with our public spending but without shattering our social model and our public ser vices. If not, the French will not accept it.”
Coulter visits University, Dayton accuses MNsure’s GOP critics of ‘farce’ months ago, he said, the more oversight of Obam- though they knew it was draws mixed reactions impor tant thing to know aCare not less.” loaded with bugs, and BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Coulter u from Page 1
Though Tuesday’s speech was a relatively quiet affair, tight security kept an eye on Coulter for the duration of the event. When talking about economics, Coulter used an extended metaphor to describe left-leaning people’s capacity for learning. “Liberals cannot learn what’s right in front of their faces,” she said. “Mollusks can learn, viruses lear n, liberals cannot learn ever ything provided by the free market will get better and cheaper over time.” Hyperbolic speech and jokes about race and other controversial topics littered Coulter’s speech. Electrical engineering
senior Sera Shane said Coulter’s extreme rhetoric can give people an inaccurate view of conservatism. “I obviously thought she was crazy. … I realize now why people have such a negative view on [conser vatives]; it’s too bad,” he said. Still, some students like Kyle Klausing, a political science and Spanish sophomore from the University’s Morris campus, said it’s positive for students to hear from a variety of voices. Klausing said he was personally happy to see someone he’s followed on TV for years. “She’s been someone who I followed for a long time, and I enjoyed hearing her speak on TV,” he said, “so now I have the opportunity to see her live.”
MINNEAPOLIS — Gov. Mark Dayton lashed out at critics of Minnesota’s health insurance exchange on Tuesday, accusing them of waging a propaganda campaign to destroy it. The Democratic governor spoke to repor ters a day after GOP members of the Legislature’s MNsure oversight committee said they wanted to use a hearing set for Wednesday to raise tough questions about the troubled launch of MNsur e last October and the decision to proceed despite evidence that the website still had serious pr oblems. Dayton called their plans for raising those issues a “farce.” Rather than focusing on problems that happened six
was that over 175,000 Minnesotans used MNsure to get health coverage by March 31, including many who didn’t have it before. “The fact that they can pr etend this is par t of an oversight process is just ludicrous,” he said. “They just want to trash MNsure, they want to trash the Af fordable Care Act, they want MNsure to fail.” GOP Reps. Tara Mack, of Apple Valley, and Joe Hoppe, of Chaska, responded with a statement saying the oversight committee “isn’t a ‘farce,’ it’s the law. With recent news repor ts stating Governor Dayton and MNsure leaders chose to expose Minnesotans to a pr ogram that wasn’t ready for consumers, it’s clear we need
Dayton said he wouldn’t send any of his advisers to speak at the hearing. While the committee had added his human ser vices commissioner, Lucinda Jesson, to the agenda, and her of fice initially confir med that she planned to appear, she soon backed out. “The MNsur e boar d will be well represented by (chairman) Brian Beutner and (interim CEO) Scott Leitz at tomorrow’s MNsure Legislative Oversight Committee hearing, and Commissioner Jesson will not attend the hearing. She has no fur ther comment on the matter,” the depar tment said in a statement. The Star T ribune repor ted Sunday that MNsure leaders chose to launch the website even
that MNsure’s executive director at the time, April Todd-Malmlov, war ned the governor at a meeting 12 days before the system went live that nobody was cer tain if the site would work. Dayton insisted that the Sept. 19 meeting was the first time he lear ned that problems with the website were serious enough to call into question whether MNsure could proceed with the launch on the same day open enrollment began across the countr y under the Obama administration’s health care overhaul. But he said his office kept in close contact with MNsure of ficials throughout the process and he thought enough pr oblems would be r esolved in time.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
5
Boutique sets women up for success The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf opened a thrift shop on the West Bank in February. BY ETHAN NELSON enelson@mndaily.com
Cedar-Riverside’s newest thrift shop of fers little in the way of walking room — it’s over flowing with clothes and dotted with counters full of shoes and jewelr y — but it has just enough space to bring together the young women of the West Bank. For young women living in the neighborhood, opportunities to learn practical skills in the community can be hard to come by. In 2011, 16 women formed
the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scar f to change just that. The Sisterhood, a group of high school- and collegeaged women of East African descent, trains women in business and opened a thrift shop on Feb. 28. Called the Sisterhood Boutique, the shop sells gently used women’s clothing and employs group members. “We don’t have a lot of oppor tunities,” said Khadra Fiqi, a high school senior and founding member of the Sister hood. “This is something to give back to the community and to get us involved in the community.” After seeing a group of young men from CedarRiverside open its own coffee cart in the Brian Coyle
Ship hunts for more ‘pings’ in jet search BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PER TH, Australia — Search crews on Wednesday combed the Indian Ocean for distant radio signals for a third day since faint sounds that may have come from the missing Malaysian jetliner’s black boxes were last detected. The signals first heard late Saturday and early Sunday had sparked hopes of a breakthrough in the search for Flight 370, but Angus Houston, the retired Australian air chief marshal leading the search far off western Australia, said listening equipment on the Ocean Shield ship has picked up no traces of the sounds since then. Finding the sound again is crucial to narrowing the search area so a submarine can be deployed to chart a potential debris field on the seafloor. If the autonomous sub was used now with the sparse data collected so far, covering all the potential places from which the pings might have come would take many days. “It’s literally crawling at the bottom of the ocean so it’s going to take a long, long time,” Houston said. The locator beacons on the black boxes have a batter y life of only about a month — and Tuesday marked exactly one month since the plane vanished. Once the beacons blink off, locating the black boxes in such deep water would be an immensely difficult, if not impossible, task. “There have been no fur ther contacts with any transmission and we need to continue (searching) for several days right up to the point at which there’s absolutely no doubt that the batteries will have expired,” Houston said. If, by that point, the U.S. Navy towed pinger locator has failed to pick up more signals, the sub will be deployed. If it maps out a debris field on the ocean floor, the sonar system on board will be replaced with a camera unit to photograph any wreckage.
O n We d n e s d a y, t h e Ocean Shield, an Australian navy supply ship, continued to draw the pinger across the northern end of a 75,427 square kilometer (29,121 square mile) search zone, the extends from 2,261 kilometers (1,405 miles) northwest of the Australian west coast city of Per th, Houston’s Joint Agency Coordination Center said in a statement. The British ship HMS Echo and China’s Haixun 01 were using under water acoustic equipment to search the southern end of the same zone. Up to 15 planes and 14 ships would join Wednesday’s search for the black boxes as well as the first piece of confirmed wreckage that could also lead to where the airliner crashed, the center said. T uesday’s fine weather was forecast to be replaced by scattered showers on Wednesday. Houston said Tuesday the two sounds heard Saturday and Sunday are consistent with the pings from an aircraft’s black boxes. Defense Minister David Johnston called the sounds the most positive lead and said it was being pursued vigorously. Still, officials warned it could take days to determine whether the sounds were connected to the plane that vanished March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing with 239 on board. “This is an herculean task — it’s over a very, very wide area, the water is extremely deep,” Johnston said. “We have at least several days of intense action ahead of us.” Houston also warned of past false leads — such as ships detecting their own signals. Because of that, other ships are being kept away, so as not to add unwanted noise. “We’re very hopeful we will find further evidence that will confirm the aircraft is in that location,” Houston said. “There’s still a little bit of doubt there, but I’m a lot more optimistic than I was one week ago.”
Center, Sisterhood of the Traveling Scar f members wanted a similar oppor tunity. Under the guidance of volunteers and business owners, the group learned about marketing and customer service. But the project initially lacked a clear focus, said Nasteho Farah, a member of the Sisterhood and high school junior. It wasn’t until former University of Minnesota student Laurine Chang got involved that the group really got going. “Ever ything came together with Chang,” Fiqi said. Chang, the Youth Social Entrepreneur Coordinator for the Brian Coyle Center, studied political science at the University from 2009-2012.
Young women in CedarRiverside feel they don’t have as many oppor tunities to get involved as men do, Chang said, but the boutique is a way to connect them to their community. “The girls were culturally restricted from maledominated programs,” she said. “… This boutique sets these girls up for success.” The group began accepting donations of clothing and accessories to build up an inventor y, and then worked on getting a location at the African Development Center of Minnesota. Still, they had trouble finding enough money to support their efforts. Mar y Tr ue, associate director of the Center for Ser vice, Work and Lear ning at Augsburg
College, got involved in 2013, guiding them on the business side of their project and finding Augsburg MBA students to write business plans for the store. “I’m committed to seeing it successful,” Tr ue said. Before the store’s doors were ready to open, the clothing donations were so plentiful that True said she had to keep much of it at her house. “Mar y’s been our biggest advocate,” Fiqi said. Soon after True got involved, word spread. The Sisterhood got a grant from Women Investing in the Next Generation, par t of the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s Women Giving program. It also received funding from the
Sundance Family Foundation and the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota to help pay for mirrors, office space and the $7.25 hourly wages for Sisterhood Boutique employees. The Sisterhood Boutique is open Monday through Saturday. Within five years, Chang said, group members plan for the store to make enough money to run without the help of grants. True said that she hopes more Augsburg and University of Minnesota students get involved as the store grows. “There are so many opportunities for students to volunteer in marketing or accounting or donating,” she said. “It’s a great asset to have just steps away from Middlebrook [Hall].”
Grad students question election Election u from Page 1
gives graduate students guaranteed seats in the senate, took effect this election, he said that it’s problematic that the All Campus Elections Commission’s process puts undergraduates and graduates in the same voting pool. “To me, that makes no sense whatsoever,” he said. Instead, McNally said, students in each council or college should be able to choose their own senators. “I think it’s not in the best interest of students and the councils for them not to be able to choose their own senators through their own election process,” he said. Chris Clark, president of the Graduate Students in Education and Human Development group, said it wasn’t ideal to have graduate and professional students run as write-in candidates this year. The elections had such a low turnout that the elected senators may not effectively represent students’ interests, he said. “I applaud the people who put themselves forward as write-in candidates,” Clark said, “But at the same time, I’m also going to say that if you won with three votes, that’s not necessarily representing the [graduate students].” And because graduate, professional and undergraduate students face different sets of issues, first-year medical student Jordan Weil said they should elect their own leaders. “I went to a smaller private school for my undergrad, so I don’t know what sort of issues [undergraduates] would be facing,” he said. Some students said the election process was unclear. But Becky Hippert, executive assistant to the University Senate, said she and the ACEC tried to make sure graduate and professional students were aware of the elections this year. “We were trying to get as much of the word out as possible,” she said. “It’s just hard to reach that many students.” Hippert said she would
have liked to see more graduate and professional students file for senate seats, as only a fraction of them did. “They were never prohibited from filing — that bylaw amendment was just to designate seats for them,” she said. Still, Weil said some students, including him, didn’t realize non-undergraduates were guaranteed seats until late in the election process.
“I don’t even know what the Senate does. Why would there be a lot of involvement if we don’t understand how it impacts us?” JORDAN WEIL First-year medical student and student senator-elect
Polls to elect student senators were open Wednesday through Friday of last week, but it wasn’t until Thursday night that Weil opted to run as a write-in to represent the Medical School in the Student Senate. To campaign, Weil said, he posted a Facebook status asking friends to vote for him. It was enough to earn him the win, with 70 percent of the 30 votes cast in the graduate senator election. He also won the undergraduate medical school student senator seat, with nearly 80 percent of votes. Weil said he thinks a lack of understanding about what the Senate does could explain the lack of student interest. “I don’t even know what the Senate does,” he said. “Why would there be a lot of involvement if we don’t understand how it impacts us?”
Dispute on deciding ties
Several senate races ended in ties where top candidates received just a handful of votes each. In the College of Education and Human Development race, there was a four-way tie for the graduate student senators, who each received just three votes.
STUDENT SENATE ELECTION WINNERS CARLSON Quinn Jurgens (undergraduate) Martin Caride (undergraduate) Amit Aggarwal (graduate/professional) PHARMACY U SENATE Leeanna Maarie Pederson (graduate/professional) MEDICAL U SENATE Jordan R. Weil (graduate/professional) PUBLIC HEALTH U SENATE Sara Kathryn Ford (graduate/professional) CLA U SENATE Ryan Olson (undergraduate) Rebecca Houske (undergraduate) Emma Mazour (undergraduate) Zach Shartiag (undergraduate) Kristen Anderson (undergraduate) Prahith Chakka (undergraduate) Cameron Holl (undergraduate)
Sean McDermid (undergraduate) Valkyrie Jensen (undergraduate) Connor Dunne (undergraduate) Mitchell C. Fuller (undergraduate) Scott Petty (graduate/professional) Robert Austin Stewart (graduate/ professional)
CEHD U SENATE Ilan Sinelnikov (undergraduate) Leah J. Reinert (graduate/professional) Yi F. Vue (graduate/professional) NURSING U SENATE Kjerstie Rishay (graduate/professional) CSE U SENATE Frank Utech (undergraduate) Michael Kutek (undergraduate) Tanner McArdle(undergraduate) Sera R. Shane (undergraduate)
Jordan Benjamin Burch (graduate/ professional) Adam John Kelloway (graduate/ professional)
DESIGN U SENATE Jacob Woll (undergraduate) CFANS U SENATE Olive Martin (undergraduate) Lucas Steven Sjostrom (graduate/professional) LAW U SENATE Kyle R. Kroll (graduate/professional) DENTISTRY U SENATE Camille Sikkema (graduate/professional) CBS U SENATE Iram Shafqat (undergraduate) Mohamed Yakub (graduate/professional) CCE U SENATE Greta Lindberg (undergraduate) VETERINARY U SENATE Ashley Hall (graduate/professional) SOURCE: ALL CAMPUS ELECTIONS COMMISSION
The two winners were chosen at random — the standard process for deciding ties in the Student Senate. One of the winners, Leah Reinert, was elected as a write-in and said she didn’t even know she won. Some students, like McNally, say the process for deciding ties and the senate election in general must change. “The way things went down this year are a serious
concern,” he said. “I think it’s something that we need to work on in the future.” Clark said it’s worrisome that someone can be elected without knowing. To address this, he said, communication between students and elections officials must improve. “The process needs a little bit more clarification so we can actually get candidates for these positions,” he said.
California bill that would end orca shows on hold Mass shooting victims’ pared to make a decision on viable option, and SeaWorld emotion and a propaganda families help Fort Hood the bill.” lobbyist Scott Wetch told film.” BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California bill that sought to end killer whale shows at SeaWorld in San Diego and phase out their captivity was put on hold Tuesday, dousing an escalating fight between animal activists and supporters of the major tourist attraction. The bill’s author, Democrat Richard Bloom of Santa Monica, agreed during the bill’s first hearing before the water, parks and wildlife committee to revisit his proposal after further study. As a result, AB2140 is dead for this year and the soonest lawmakers could vote on the proposal would be mid2015. “It’s unfor tunate that much of the conversation has been fueled ... by fear and invective and misinformation,” Bloom said. “It’s clear that many committee members are simply unpre-
Bloom was inspir ed by the 2013 documentar y “Blackfish” in which filmmakers argue that captivity and mistreatment of orcas make the animals aggressive. It examined the events leading to the 2010 death of trainer Dawn Brancheau in SeaWorld Orlando when the whale Tilikum pulled her underwater. John Hargrove, a former SeaWorld trainer in Texas and San Diego who appeared in “Blackfish,” told lawmakers at the hearing that orcas appeared agitated and dragged him underwater multiple times. The bill would have banned the import, export and breeding of orcas while requiring SeaWorld San Diego to move its 10 killer whales out of tanks and into larger sea pens. Witnesses for the marine park said that was not a
lawmakers the bill would have likely resulted in the orcas being moved to parks outside the state. Public outrage over the movie drove 1.2 million people to sign a petition that was delivered Monday to the Assembly by three elementar y school students who successfully stopped an overnight school field trip to SeaWorld. Dozens of animal rights activists packed the hearing room on Tuesday to support the bill, with more waiting outside. SeaWorld dismissed their contention that orcas are too intelligent and too large for captivity. “That argument is not based on credible peer-reviewed science,” John Reilly, president of SeaWorld San Diego Park, said in an inter view. “It’s based on
Reilly said the bill would be detrimental because almost ever y visit to SeaWorld includes a killer whale show or viewing. San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Jerr y Sanders said in a statement after the hearing that SeaWorld is important to the local economy because it provides thousands of jobs and attracts millions of visitors. SeaWorld has mounted an aggressive public relations campaign to discredit the film for relying on what it calls unqualified former employees and biased experts. The publicly traded company bought newspaper ads, set up a website countering “Blackfish,” and criticized the film on Twitter. SeaWorld says it expects record revenue in 2013 despite the film.
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Dozens of families who lost loved ones during Sept. 11, the mass shooting at Connecticut’s Sandy Hook elementary school and other attacks are trying to support victims of similar tragedies with a new fund whose first efforts will focus on last week’s shootings at Fort Hood. The National Center for Victims of Crime told The Associated Press on Tuesday that about 70 families are supporting the fund to provide no-strings-attached cash payments. Victims’ family members said they joined the effort out of frustration with how donations were allocated after their own tragedies. Caren Teves, whose son killed in the 2012 movie theater shootings in Aurora, Colo., said she came up with the idea after learning that
a Colorado nonprofit had raised millions of dollars using the names and photos of her son and the 11 other victims without their knowledge or consent. “It was the re-victimization that hit us the hardest. Alex was murdered, and then he was used to drum up funds by nonprofits for other nonprofits. I did not want my son’s memory to be part of a money-making scheme. That’s why we fought,” she said. Among her supporters is Eric Mace, whose daughter Ryanne was a sophomore when she and four other people were killed during a mass shooting at Northern Illinois University in 2008. “When you have an incident like what happened at NIU, Sandy Hook or now Fort Hood twice, people are inspired to reach out but you can’t get anywhere near the victims. ...” Mace said.
6
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
theaftermath
AMANDA SNYDER, DAILY
One of Mariana’s students holds her hand during a school assembly Friday morning.
second-degree murder for the parking of the tuition. Without enough money to lot shooting, and he’s currently being go, she gave up on the idea. Go to held in a state prison for charges unreWhen Mariana looks at the poster mndailyprojects.com/aftermath The two still share the same eyes, lated to Jobi or Anarae’s deaths. and puzzle now, she shakes her head smile and soft, round face. Mariana is Conrade was charged with one felo- slightly and her sentences clip. to experience the project online. pleased when the resemblance is point- ny count of aiding an offender for harIn the real story, Anarae went to the ed out, but she doesn’t see it. boring Nelson in her home. She posted University of Minnesota, living at home She also doesn’t see other similari- a $150,000 bond, with conditions, in late for the first two years. In college, as ties. Both she and Anarae had an innate November. in high school, she spent a lot of time out of town visiting family — when the tendency to befriend those on the outWhen Mariana went to close Anarae’s alone. She would make excuses for the other woman came to the door. She told skirts of society and see something re- bank account, a bank employee told absence of her friends — they had boy- Anarae everything. When she left, Andeeming in them. her that Conrade had recently been in. friends who they wanted to spend their arae called her parents in hysterics, and Mariana, who works in special edu- Mariana started wondering how she’d weekend nights with or they were used they immediately drove home. cation, never thought of herself as an respond if they ran into each other. to Anarae being busy with work. Anarae didn’t have any contact with activist. But now she’s found herself Before her death, the family had Though Mariana has been moved Nelson until July 2013, when he emailed wanting to do more, from drafting a bill long talks with Anarae about dating Nel- by the outpouring of support since her her saying he wanted to repay $5,000 that would deny bail for repeat violent son after they learned about his danger- daughter’s death, parts of it make her she loaned him while they were dating. offenders to writing a book. ous past, but Anarae thought she could angry. Mariana fixates on the money. She Sitting at a table in the Burnsville change him. “You wouldn’t socialize with her wonders if it’s the reason Anarae met up Caribou Coffee where Anarae spent The 32-year-old had a heavy criminal when she was alive,” Mariana said, her with Nelson the night she disappeared countless hours — and where she was history before he met Anarae, having eyes hot with tears. — and if so, why she needed to get it on the night of her death — Mariana been convicted of at least four felonies. Part of Anarae’s isolation came from back. said she’s trying to piece together a way He posted bail on an armed burglary being a commuter student at the beMariana also wants to know if Anto move forward. charge three days before Jobi was killed ginning of college, before she moved arae’s friends had any suspicions. “I feel like I’m waking up,” she said. and Anarae went missing. into an apartment with friends. To get to “I’m just thinking that the more people “I’ve just been so engrossed in grief that Now, the family is left to wait until school, she took a bus from Burnsville I talk to, the more I’ll find out,” she said. I haven’t been able to think.” police file charges to learn the events to Minneapolis. Mariana talked to a waiter friend of that led up to Anarae’s death. Until then, Anarae bused most places, Mariana Anarae’s who was working at Jensen’s A MISSING PERSON Mariana and her family are searching said, which is how she met Nelson. He Supper Club, another restaurant AnOn the evening before homecom- for ways to cope. approached her at a bus stop and asked arae and Nelson visited the night of her ing, students flooded the streets of The New Year rolled in quickly af- about the book she was reading — a death. All Anarae’s friend knew was that Dinkytown. Twenty miles away, police ter Anarae’s death. Mariana and Monty volume about chess. she and Nelson had stood outside the gave Anarae’s family the news: They joined a support group for people who Anarae’s chess coach was a Russian restaurant and talked for a while — long had found her University of Minnesota have lost a loved one to homicide but immigrant who Mariana still talks to enough for Nelson to smoke a cigarette, sweatshirt, but not her. found it difficult to hear other partici- occasionally. After Anarae’s death, her Mariana said. In the beginning, Mariana said, pants’ stories. They haven’t been back coach told Mariana that she’d had plans Mariana also discovered that a secuit was just a missing persons report. since their first meeting in January. to take Anarae on a trip to Russia and in- rity guard she knows once worked in a Anarae was last seen with her ex-boyFor now, there’s the day-to-day busi- troduce her to men she might like. prison where Nelson was being held. friend, Shavelle Chavez-Nelson (also ness that comes when a family member “She would’ve fallen in love,” the In a conversation with Mariana, the known as Anthony Lee Nelson), and his dies — getting an honorary diploma or coach said. guard described Nelson as wild, violent girlfriend at the time, Ashley Conrade. shutting off a cellphone that, for a while Mariana thinks now about going to and a constant threat to the guards and Nelson allegedly shot and killed after Anarae’s death, Mariana was still Russia herself. other prisoners. Palagor Obang Jobi, 23, in the park- calling to leave messages. “I want to see these men,” she said. At one point, the guard lifted his ing lot of Nina’s Grill in Burnsville that hand to show Mariana a deep bruise night. Afterward, Conrade said she, REMEMBERING across his finger, a wound he said NelPIECING THE Nelson and Anarae left the parking lot son gave him. THE FUTURE STORY TOGETHER together. Conrade told police Anarae went Every day is full of questions about Mariana and Monty never under- A NEW ACTIVISM with her and Nelson to Conrade’s what happened to Anarae — and what stood why Anarae dated the men she Even when they find bits of the story townhome in Rosemount, Minn., af- might have happened had things turned did. to weave together, the Schunks are far ter the shooting. Police found a plastic out differently. They were “losers,” Mariana said, from satisfied. tub containing a large amount of blood For a long time, she was set on going and she and Monty wished their daughThe five of them, including Anarae’s and a bloodstained quilt hidden in the to New York University. Her bedroom ter would find someone worthy of her. two brothers, led a regular life in a regurafters of the townhome’s garage two is still lined with the evidence — a puzAnarae dated Nelson for a few months, lar home. They were never particularly days later. About a week after she went zle depicting the gleaming skyline and but broke up with him in fall 2012 after political, but as Anarae got older she missing, police found Anarae’s body in a poster of the twin towers made up of learning he was in a relationship with an- would sometimes lean liberal to push a ditch. At that point, her body was so thousands of tiny photos of the city. other woman — not Conrade — with back against her parents (though she decomposed that the family wasn’t alAn acceptance letter arrived, but whom he was living at the time. canvassed for both Democrats and Relowed to see her. there wasn’t enough money to go with “From the get-go, my husband said ‘I publicans, something that still makes Anarae’s death is under investiga- it. Anarae was offered a scholarship, but wouldn’t trust him,’” Mariana said. Mariana laugh). tion, but charges still haven’t been filed. Mariana and Monty told her they’d have On Thanksgiving Day 2012, Anarae Now, the family’s search for anNelson was charged with first- and to figure out how to pay the remainder was home alone — her parents were swers — and their resulting frustration
AFTERMATH from page 1
Sept. 23 Anarae is reported missing. Sept. 22 Nelson allegedly shoots and kills Palagor Obang Jobi in the parking lot of Nina’s Grill in Burnsville.
Sept. 24 Nelson and Conrade are arrested in connection with Jobi’s death.
Anarae Schunk case
Sept. 26 Nelson is charged with second-degree murder in Jobi’s death. Conrade is charged with aiding an offender for allegedly harboring Nelson in her home. Sept. 27 Police tell Schunk family they believe Anarae is dead. Sept. 30 Anarae’s body is found in a ditch in rural Rice County.
Nov. 19 Conrade posts bond and is released from jail.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
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with the court system — has led them BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY to activism. Above: Mariana stands in Anarae’s room and talks about the quilt on her bed Friday, March 8 at the Schunks’ Burnsville home. The blanket Mariana has reached out to the Uniwas made after Anarae’s death by the mother of a student in her high school class. versity’s Aurora Center and the MinneBelow: A photo of Anarae and friends at a high school formal sits on the shelf above her bed. sota Coalition for Battered Women to learn more about relationship violence. When she meets with advocates, the amount of information can overwhelm her. At times, she wishes someone would tell her what to do. Mariana and Monty have taken some specific action, suggesting changes to current bail laws. The changes — in the form of two proposed bills named for Anarae — would harshen the consequences for repeat violent offenders, from denying them bail to sentencing them to life in prison without parole. Mariana and Monty have collected the bills and everything they’ve learned, including newspaper articles, court transcripts and statistics, into binders to show lawmakers. Mariana wrote an introduction to each section. One of these introductions, to a transcript of Nelson’s bail hearing three months before Anarae’s disappearance, described the proceedings as “disturbing” and Nelson as a “terrorist.” When she talks about the proposed laws, Mariana reveals her frustration. “Judges have no accountability,” she said. “A lot of them are doing fine, but it’s these little instances.” Mariana is perhaps the least angry member of her immediate family, but there are moments when she breaks. Talking about Nelson, she sometimes leans in and lowers her voice. “That P.O.S.,” she whispers, face hard. For a while, she was considering writing a book about the value of life. Now, it may be children’s books. “It’s not my mission to be empow- celebrate birthdays and anniversaries; Anarae’s small, wooden urn in his All of the information can be a lot ered,” Mariana said. “It’s my mission to they work. Monty goes to the YMCA. arms, saying he wanted to show it to to take in, Mariana said. make something positive out of her life.” He and Mariana Skype with their Nelson. “I think I hear it; then I process it; grandchildren. Mariana also holds the urn occa- then at night I just cry about it,” she said. “In the big picture things, we’re do- sionally, giving it a tight squeeze. In it all, there are moments of soft‘WE HAVE OUR UP ing good,” Mariana said. “As expect“That’s all I have,” she said. ness. Monty still plays the mix CD AnAND DOWN DAYS’ ed, we have our up and down days.” The two have been attending Nel- arae made for his 64th birthday — a As time passes, the family conOnce, in a moment of frustration, son’s trial for Jobi’s shooting and met compilation of everything from “Raintinues to move through life. They Monty stormed to the piano and took Jobi’s parents there. drops Keep Fallin’ on my Head” to Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah.” Mariana said she feels Anarae nearby at times. Once when she was cross-country skiing, she felt a strange force beneath her feet, pushing her through the snow. Another time, she went into Anarae’s room and found a vase had fallen from the closed egress window, scattering fake flowers across the floor. When the family comes together, things are not the same. There’s a certain understanding, a closeness that wasn’t there before. Her son, Tyson, calls her at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help her get out of bed and give her something to look forward to. “I think we all realize we’re not the same people we were prior,” Mariana said. But there are moments when Mariana is alone, and her mind races. She still goes downstairs to Anarae’s room and contemplates its museum stillness. There are days when she lies down on the neatly tucked quilt and feels beneath her back the foam mattress she bought to make Anarae more comfortable living at home. She’s realized now how hard the surface is and feels guilty for not buying something softer.
BRIDGET BENNETT, DAILY Photos of Anarae and her brothers hang on the wall above the piano at the Schunks’ family home in Burnsville. On top of the piano are cards, angel statues and Anarae’s urn. GRAPHIC SOURCES: COURT DOCUMENTS, MN DAILY REPORTING INFOGRAPHIC AND LAYOUT BY AMBER BILLINGS
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Editorials & Opinions www.mndaily.com/opinion
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 The Editorials & Opinions department is independent of the newsroom. The editorial board prepares the editorials labeled “EDITORIALS,” which are the opinion of the Minnesota Daily as an institution but not representative of Daily employees’ opinions. Columnists’ opinions are their own.
SOCIAL ISSUES
EDITORIALS
There’s a new political blacklist
Boynton to cut down on unnecessary care costs
Same-sex marriage supporters have gone too far with criticisms of resigned Mozilla CEO.
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ame-sex marriage has become one of our generation’s defining issues. While public opinion on the issue has changed quickly in recent histor y, some supporters have taken advocacy to another level: ef fectively silencing opposing voices. Just two weeks after taking a the position as CEO of Mozilla Corp., Brendan Eich left his new job solely due to backlash from his own opinion on same-sex marriage. Two years ago, the Los Angeles Times published a complete list of the donors to Proposition 8, a 2008 California ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage. When Eich’s name showed up on the list with a $1,000 contribution, controversy brewed at the Silicon Valley company. It was only after taking a position as CEO that the internal controversy resur faced and an outside boycott sprouted.
DEREK OLSON columnist
Eich, a man who has personally emphasized the impor tance of inclusivity, respect and tolerance in the organization, had no record of discrimination. Mitchell Baker, chair woman of the company, said, “… I never saw any kind of behavior or attitude from him that was not in line with Mozilla’s values of inclusiveness.” Far fr om pushing his views on others, Eich refused to discuss them, desirous of keeping his personal opinions private. Despite all this, the mob hunted him down and bullied him out of the company that he cofounded. An unblemished track record of respect was not enough for Eich. He was guilty of merely
holding a belief — a pure Or wellian thoughtcrime. Baker released a statement Thursday that amounts to an astonishingly ambiguous appeal to corporate political correctness. It’s not quite clear whether she defends Eich’s right to his own view or sympathizes with the mob. “Mozilla believes both in equality and freedom of speech. Equality is necessary for meaningful speech. And free speech is needed to fight for equality. Figuring out how to stand for both at the same time can be hard,” she wrote. Mozilla, a company that extolls itself on diversity, inclusiveness and openness, has proven that the organization does not cultivate an environment that exemplifies any of these qualities. No one should have to leave a job due to their personal political opinions, particularly when they don’t interfere with their professional life. This is a tragedy, and it probably would not have occurred without the mounting outside pressure of boycotts and petitions. Sadly, the donor list for
DEATHS IN IRAQ: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 4,802 — IRAQI CIVILIANS: 122,482- PLUS DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN: U.S. & COALITION TROOPS: 3,418 — AFGHAN CIVILIANS: UNKNOWN
Prop 8 has become the 21st centur y’s exact equivalent of the 1950s Hollywood blacklists. Boycotts and demonstrations have pressured numerous individuals out of their jobs. Scott Eckern, artistic director of the California Musical Theater; Richard Raddon, director of the Los Angeles Film Festival; and Marjorie Christoffersen, face of the popular Los Angeles restaurant El Coyote, have all left their jobs due to backlash from their donations. These political tactics are downright despicable. Members of the political left who are unwilling to speak out against such shameful practices prove themselves to be mired in deep hypocrisy. Just what are the values of these progressives? Not merely intolerant of opposing views, they actively seek to tear down and destroy the livelihood of anyone who opposes them. These are the values of fascistic dictators. Derek Olson welcomes comments at dolson@mndaily.com.
BUSINESS
Who’s to blame at GM? It isn’t fair to focus the blame on Mary Barra for a decade of mistakes at General Motors.
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Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune Please send comments to letters@mndaily.com.
GUEST COLUMN What is organic? So what is “organic,” really? To look at this question, it can be easier to start with what is not organic, rather, what is genetically modified. Genetically modified organisms, commonly referred to as GMOs, have been a topic of hot debate in recent years. By definition, a genetically modified organism is one which has had its genes modified from their “natural state” through the use of modern biotechnology. However, “modern biotechnology” can be understood in a variety of ways, with gene insertion from other organisms on one side of the spectrum and mere selective breeding on the other. Selective breeding aims to do largely the same thing as gene insertions: to produce an organism with a desired genetic trait. Although some people feel this is a more natural and perhaps more ethical route to travel, it’s difficult to see how it really changes the end product. Due to such “modifying,” GMOs have garnered distrust among the majority of the public, while conversely the reputation of organic food products has grown. However, much of the hysteria surrounding GMOs and organic foods is based primarily on rhetoric rather than scientific principle. One must consider that since the beginning of the agricultural r evolution 10,000 years ago, man has been genetically modifying crops in an attempt to increase and improve yields in
order to stave off famine and malnutrition. The more recent developments in technology, although aiming to achieve the same goal, have brought a negative, antiscience stigma against these practices. With this stigma unveiled, the benefits of GMO technology can be seen more clearly. One cause of concern surrounding GMO technology has been the fear of an increase of corporate control in the food supply. It’s true that a few large companies, such as Cargill and Sysco, have control over various aspects of the food supply within the United States. Some people believe that by switching back to traditional or organic food, we can avoid the monopoly associated with GMOs. Organic food researcher and author Michael Pollan points out that while the common conception is that organic food comes from small farms by loving farmers dedicated to their pure practices, this is often not really the case. Whole Foods Market, a well-known organic grocery chain, gets its produce from Earthbound Farm and Grimmway Farms/Cal-Organic, both located in California. These two companies dominate the organic produce market in America and employ industrial methods to satiate customer demand. The methods may be certified as organic, but the problems associated with large-scale corporate farming still remain if they wish to produce enough food to feed the population.
Much of the anti-science has latched itself to the argument of the added nutritional value organic foods bring. However, the nutritional differences between organic and GMO food illustrates a different story. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that was conducted around the chemical analysis of a wide variety of organic foods demonstrated that out of 11 key nutrients identified, only three nutrients showed a significant dif ference in nutritional value. These differences, as the researchers state, can be accounted for by the variability in techniques, product and soil makeup. Therefore, this presents the question of whether eating organic foods or eating healthy foods is more important for human health. These misconceptions are but a small portion illustrating the supposed disadvantages of GMO technology in food. Other anti-GMO arguments have similarly misconstr ued research, producing an unwarranted organic craze. A clear logic to give up GMO food production remains to be seen, but until that appears, we suggest that we continue with the progress of science to help feed the growing population with this new, more efficient technology. Rachel Gewiss Dani Palmer Thomas Ringsred Chris Weiseman Yesha Yishmaw University students
h o u g h M a r y Barra has only been the CEO of General Motors for three months, she’s received enough criticism and public scrutiny for a lifetime. LUIS RUUSKA The pillor y columnist against Bar ra began after GM issued a recall in February for 800,000 vehicles with faulty ignition switches that could cause vehicles to turn off on the road. So far, the recalled vehicles have been linked to the deaths of at least 13 people. Though a corporate email showed that multiple GM executives knew about the faulty engine switches as early as 2005 — and that they could have fixed them for 57 cents per switch — the Senate subcommittee in charge of the investigation has seemingly set their targets on Barra. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., went so far as to say that, “woman to woman,” she was “very disappointed” in Barra for her alleged dedication to prioritizing the “status quo” over GM’s customers. Barra is the first woman to serve as CEO of GM. Though it may be somewhat justified, the relentless criticism against Barra fails to place blame where blame is due. A cover-up of this scale does not start or end with GM’s CEO, much less someone who has only been in office for three months. The designers of the ignition switch should share the blame, as well as the quality managers that failed to catch this massive lapse in safety. What about the engineers at Delphi, the company that supplies GM with the ignition switches, which failed to change the part number that would distinguish the defunct switches from the usable ones? What about Barra’s predecessors from the past decade? If anyone was instrumental in this cover-up, it was be them — yet there’s been little public outcry to blame them. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not making excuses for Barra. This fiasco is an example of the “profit over people” corporate mentality at its worst, and she must take responsibility for her company. But just because Barra is the easiest and most visible target doesn’t mean she should be the only one. Many others at GM are to blame for this situation. It’s time to hold them equally responsible. Luis Ruuska welcomes comments at lruuska@mndaily.com.
A new initiative helps doctors and patients avoid unnecessary and pricey tests and procedures.
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niversity of Minnesota students receiving treatment from Boynton Health Services may see a change in the way nurse practitioners and doctors talk to them about their care. As par t of a plan to reduce unnecessar y costs, Boynton will conduct training for its physicians to help cut down on nonessential MRIs, X-rays and other expensive tests, the Minnesota Daily reported April 3. The program comes as par t of a larger initiative called Choosing Wisely, which aims to educate physicians and patients about the cost of unnecessar y tests and improve doctor-patient communication. Boynton is one of several clinics in Minnesota that plan to put the Choosing Wisely training platform in motion. According to its website, Choosing Wisely will enhance doctor-patient communication about health care tests in order to use health care resources more effectively. National Physicians Alliance developed the concept and hopes to help patients make decisions about care that are safe, necessar y and not redundant. We support Boynton’s plan to reduce costs by increasing doctor-patient communication and providing training that will give patients — including many students — a better view of what care is essential and what is extraneous. Medical malpractice lawsuits in the United States are costly, which could be a significant par t of why doctors feel pressure to per form unnecessar y tests. An initiative that educates doctors and patients about how to communicate the intricacies of health care and reduce the costs for both the patient and the clinic is impor tant if the University is to keep health care affordable for all students.
City shouldn’t prioritize ear plug ordinance Frey’s proposal for free earplugs is commendable, but confusing.
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ewly elected Ward 3 City Councilman Jacob Frey is proposing a new ordinance requiring Minneapolis concer t venues to provide free earplugs. While we appreciate Frey’s good intentions, this ordinance is more confusing and frivolous than it is crucial. The Minnesota Daily repor ted last week that 3M is in talks with the city to provide the free earplugs, a public relations coup that has us wondering what kind of hand the company had in the proposal, if any. Fur thermore, many of the 185 bars and clubs that would be af fected already sell earplugs for around a dollar. The ordinance could take away a small but impor tant revenue source from venues that generally operate on ver y thin profit margins. We endorsed Frey for City Council because we appreciated his commitment to sustainable development, more simplified city procedure and better outreach to recent college graduates. We realize these changes can’t happen overnight, though some of Frey’s other recent proposals — like beautifying sur face parking lots downtown — start to chip away at them. While hearing damage is certainly a public health issue, this is a small and slightly confusing fix. It’s a well-meaning distraction from more pressing city-wide needs.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TONY WAGNER = EDITORIALS & OPINIONS EDITOR ERIC BEST = SENIOR EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER WILLIAM BORNHOFT = BOARD MEMBER CASSANDRA SUNDARAM
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Sports
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@MNDAILYSPORTS
MEN’S HOCKEY
Rau keeps quiet amid on-ice success
Minnesota forward Kyle Rau is a co-captain with forward Nate Condon. The Gophers will play in the Frozen Four in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 10.
Kyle Rau stars for the Gophers, but he still likes some time for himself. BY MEGAN RYAN mryan@mndaily.com
If a collective groan — or a more subtle eye roll — emits from the postgame media gathering outside the Gophers men’s hockey locker room, the source of exasperation isn’t hard to figure out. Kyle Rau is taking the questions that night. Notorious for his clipped answers and quick exit, the junior for ward is anything but quiet on the ice — from scoring sensational goals like his diving triple-overtime winner that won Eden Prairie the 2011 state title, to receiving a shove in the handshake line that star ted the infamous brawl against North Dakota during his freshman season. To the fans, he’s a great player. To the media, he’s a terrible quote. But to the people who know him best, he’s much more than what hockey entails. “Around new people or around the media or something, he’s more sheltered and more conser vative in his answers,” his twin brother, Cur t Rau, said. “He’s not in it for the publicity. He’s in it just to play. I mean, he’s in it to win.”
Dual-ing identities The Kyle on the ice is ver y dif ferent from the Kyle off it. That might be what makes him such a dynamic player. Kyle has 14 goals and a team-leading 23 assists with 37 points this season. In his career, about 40 percent of his goals have been game winners, and the Gophers win about 80 percent of the games when he tallies at least a point. His lifelong friend and high school teammate,
Colorado College freshman for ward Luc Gerdes, said this success isn’t surprising because Kyle is “one of the most intense guys on the ice.” Cur t said he’s experienced that passion firsthand — he has clear memories of his brother’s voice rising above the rest when Curt messed up in a game. “He’ll get in your face if you don’t do something right,” he said. “Kyle has an extra level, an extra edge that not ver y many people could reach.” That fer vor can sometimes come across to the crowd as annoying, because Rau is usually in the thick of the action — before and after the whistle. His mother, L ynne Rau, said that isn’t an accurate picture of her son. “His persona on the ice where … he chirps at everybody is definitely an onice persona,” she said. “His irritating personality is really just for the officials and for the people he’s playing against. He is really a sweetheart.” Gerdes agreed his friend is laid-back off the ice — no fights, no issues, no drama in his life. “I think it’s kind of funny that most people would probably think that he’s this highly wired kid off the ice,” Gerdes said. “But really, it’s so opposite.” Curt said, as a whole, his twin’s “personality off the ice has nothing to do with his personality on the ice.” That’s not hard to believe, considering Kyle’s non-hockey hobbies. A marketing major with a high GPA he’s spor ted throughout his schooling, Kyle doesn’t spend ever y free moment par tying in Dinkytown. His free time is pretty mellow in a way many college students relate. “You can probably find me sitting in my room watching TV or doing a little homework and then watching some more TV,” the junior forward said. “It’s about all I do. I come to the
Gophers forward Kyle Rau plays against Minnesota State on Nov. 2, 2012, at Mariucci Arena.
rink and then I go sit on my butt and watch TV.” He’s a documentary guy. He likes animals and watches a lot of Animal Planet and Discover y Channel. He’s currently enjoying the NBC crime drama “The Blacklist.” Kyle said liking his alone time doesn’t make him weird. “It’s not like I’m overly quiet where it’s awkwardly quiet,” he said. “I’d just rather sit in my room and hang out — watch my own show instead of let someone else pick what I watch.” His mother said while her son is reserved, a better word to describe him would be “humble.” “He’s not real boisterous or anything like that, and he does prefer just being around familiar things, whether that be his house or his room,” she said. “He could have had his success go to his head, and he really, totally has not. That’s not him at all.”
Lynne said Kyle is witty, delivering quick one-liners that crack her up. His sense of humor is another quality people don’t see unless they know him. “He may come across as aloof or disinterested,” she said, “but once you engage him, he is nice and will answer questions and is just a very friendly guy.” Gerdes said his friend has never needed to be the center of attention. While Kyle commands the spotlight in the rink, he dodges it in everyday life. Kyle said he uses hockey as an outlet. “It’s a good release of energy,” he said. “And you can take your anger out on someone if you need to, and it’s OK.”
Rau-sing without the rah-rah
This season, Kyle wears a jersey stitched with a “C,” but he isn’t a stereotypical captain.
He leaves senior captain Nate Condon to handle inter views with eloquence and deliver inspiring locker room speeches. Kyle’s job is a little more hands-on. “Nate does the vocal leader stuff,” he said. “I’m kind of the example on the ice, work ethic kind of guy.” That hasn’t changed since he was a boy playing youth hockey with the same group of about 10 Eden Prairie, Minn., friends he’s had his whole life. “He was always our leader, always our best player growing up,” Gerdes said. “We all kind of looked up to him, and he kind of set the bar pretty high for hard work.” Gophers junior defenseman Ben Marshall said his roommate’s responsibility is one of the qualities he is most revered for on the team.
CHELSEA GORTMAKER, DAILY
ICHIGO TAKIKAWA, DAILY FILE PHOTO
“He gets to bed, probably, at better hours than any of the other guys do,” he said. “We like to stay up and watch TV. He likes to get his full eight hours.” Though Kyle doesn’t speak up as much as some of his more gregarious teammates, Gerdes said that might be advantageous. “When he talks, people listen,” he said. “When he’s got something to say, it means something.” Or as Kyle puts it, “It’s not like I’m running my mouth for no reason.” That may be why he isn’t so verbose in press conferences — he’s waiting until he has something important to say. His tight-lipped demeanor may be misleading on the surface, but Kyle is anything but indifferent. “Not ver y many people tr uly see,” Chad said, “how much he cares.”
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Stollings introduced as new head coach Her new deal will pay her $425,000 annually over the next six seasons. BY JACK SATZINGER jsatzinger@mndaily.com
In 1995, Marlene Stollings and the Ohio State Buckeyes ran on to the Williams Arena floor and put up 93 points on the Gophers in a double-digit win. Stollings returned to the Barn on Tuesday afternoon, but this time as Minnesota’s new head coach. Stollings, who later transferred to Ohio University to finish her schooling, plans on many more 90-point games — but this time with the Gophers in the winning column. “We will play an exciting brand of basketball,” Stollings said Tuesday at her introductory press conference in the Williams Arena Club Room, filled to the brim with media and fans. “I’m a firm believer that offense generates defense,” Minnesota ranked 149th in the NCAA in points per game last season, but Stollings said she hopes to up that number next season. University athletics director Norwood Teague called his new coach an “innovative thinker.” She has already brainstormed ways to use star guard Rachel Banham next year to get other players involved in the offense. “She’s already outstanding,” Stollings said of Banham, “but … there’s yet another level she can go with her game.” And Banham can’t wait to get to work with her new
coach. “As a point guard, I love to just get the ball and go end-toend,” Banham said. “I’m so excited for that, and I know our team is excited for that as well.” Teague called the overall hiring process “careful” and “detailed,” but he found the ideal candidate just over a week after dismissing former head coach Pam Borton. Teague said a large pool of candidates expressed interest in the position, but Stollings stood out. “It showed what a big-time job we have,” Teague said, “and that there’s a lot of interest in what we are doing.” Stollings’ deal will pay her $425,000 annually over a six-year span. And every year Minnesota reaches the NCAA tournament, she will receive a $10,000 bonus. A Sweet Sixteen berth would garner $25,000, Elite Eight $50,000 and a Final Four appearance $75,000. If the Gophers win the national championship, Stollings would pocket $100,000. Stollings has one thing in mind to get Minnesota back to making the deep tournament runs that were customary a decade ago. “I think recruiting will be the lifeblood of our program,” she said. Those recr uiting efforts will start in Minnesota, where Borton struggled to put some of the state’s top talent in a maroon and gold uniform. Stollings grew up in Ohio dreaming of playing for the Buckeyes and said she hopes Minnesota girls have the same aspirations for their home team. “I know what it’s like to be a little girl and have a child-
PATRICIA GROVER, DAILY
Marlene Stollings, the new head coach for the Gophers women’s basketball team, talks about her goals for the team during her introductory press conference at Williams Arena on Tuesday.
hood dream to play for your state school in the Big Ten Conference,” she said. Banham stayed home to play for the Gophers and has amassed a fantastic individual career, she but has yet to reach the NCAA tournament. She said she’d be happy to help with recruiting efforts. “I love having my parents here to watch me play and my brothers and sisters,” she said. “These fans are incredible.” Gophers fans were also chomping at the bit to see a
BASEBALL
Gophers walk-on succeeds Neal Kunik didn’t make the team as a walk-on until his third time around. BY BETSY HELFAND bhelfand@mndaily.com
For junior pitcher Neal Kunik, the third time was the charm. After tr ying to walk on to the Gophers baseball team as a freshman and again as a sophomore, Kunik finally made the team his junior year. Though many would have given up after the first or second rejection, a stubborn streak persuaded Kunik to continue to pursue his dream. “[I’m] pretty hard-set in my ways, so when I set out to achieve this goal specifically, I was telling myself I wasn’t going to stop before I got it done,” Kunik said. Minnesota holds walkon tr youts ever y fall — head coach John Anderson said that was the way he got his star t in the program. “There are kids that want to come to this institution academically … [and] have some baseball ability,” Anderson said, “so we [hold] the walk-on tr yout just to give the kids the opportunity.” Gophers baseball tr youts can have anywhere from a dozen players to as many as 40. Anderson said coaches tell prospective players that they don’t keep a lot of guys from tr youts, but they’re welcome to keep trying out. Most don’t. “The ver y few guys that we have kept from the open tr youts are guys that have kept showing up each fall,” pitching coach Todd Oakes said. “They keep showing up, and they keep showing you that ‘Hey, maybe this guy’s got something to offer.’ ” Oakes could only recall “two or three” pitchers that Minnesota has kept from open tryouts in his 16 years with the team. Kunik was one of them. “It had always been my dream to play baseball here, so I figured I’d give it a shot at walking on and hope for the best,” he said. After a successful high
BASEBALL PREVIEW
@ MINNESOTA
he was hoping for a bigger name to take over the opening. “I’m not disappointed, but I’m kind of underwhelmed,” he said. Stollings has been a head coach for three seasons — two years at Virginia Commonwealth and one year at Winthrop. Kyla Radha, a Gophers fan from Andover, Minn., said she’s concerned about Stollings’ tendency to jump from one job to another. “I was a little skeptical
because she hasn’t stayed at a program for a long time,” Radha said. “Will she be around after two years?” Stollings has worked for eight different schools since 2000, but none were Big Ten institutions. Now, Stollings is back at the Barn and said she doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon. “This is the pinnacle of coaching, and to be at this level is a dream come true,” she said. “You look at this as a life-changing stop and lifelong stop.”
SOFTBALL
Minnesota beats rival Iowa twice The Gophers did not allow a single earned run in the doubleheader. BY JARED CHRISTENSEN jchristensen@mndaily.com
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
3 p.m. Wednesday in Brookings, South Dakota
MINNESOTA: The Gophers head to South Dakota for a midweek tilt against South Dakota State. Minnesota enters into the matchup 17-10 on the season after most recently winning two-of-three games against Michigan. So far this season, Minnesota has used freshmen Cody Campbell and Toby Anderson as midweek starters. Campbell has started two games, and Anderson has started one. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: The Jackrabbits take a sub. 500 record into the game. In addition to a midweek game against Minnesota, the Jackrabbits also played Tuesday. The Gophers won the only game between the two teams last year. They were scheduled to play twice, but the second game was postponed. SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM
school career at Eagan High School, Kunik could have continued playing baseball at a Division II or III school or even at a smaller Division I school. Kunik ultimately chose to attend Minnesota for academics. He said his college decision came down to Minnesota or North Dakota State, but Minnesota had a better engineering school. Oakes said the Gophers knew of Kunik in high school. “I think he was on our list, just probably not high enough on our list to actually recruit out of high school,” Oakes said. Kunik continued to play amateur ball in the summer, which helped him prepare for tryouts. “Ever y year, I’d get myself and my body ready for tr youts in the fall with the hope that I would make it,” Kunik said. “[It] was really tough to handle, especially the first year when you’re hoping for the best and being really optimistic.” But for the past two years, Minnesota hasn’t had open roster spots. “His sophomore year, he probably deser ved to make it, and I think our coaches would say that,” Gophers player and childhood teammate Mark Tatera said. “This year, we finally had the open roster [spot] so he was finally able to join the team.” Tatera said Kunik kept a positive attitude throughout. He bounced around be-
new head coach. “I thought [Borton’s dismissal] was a long time coming,” said Eric Boogaard, a Gophers fan and Rogers, Minn., native. “I also think it was two years overdue.” Boogaard started watching Gophers women’s hoops as a teenager in 2003. Now, he said, he follows the team closely and even attends girls’ high school games to evaluate recruits. He admittedly didn’t know much about Stollings before the announcement and said
tween dif ferent engineering fields once he got to campus before eventually switching over to psychology. “I was really good at math and science, so I figured [engineering] was the route to go,” Kunik said. “It turns out once I got to those upper-level math classes, they weren’t as fun as I thought they were in high school.” Anderson said academics were a factor in giving Kunik a spot on the roster. “[We] told him he had to get his academics in line because we weren’t going to put him on until he did,” Anderson said. “We tried to use that to motivate him a little. He had to do the work, and he did the work.” Near the beginning of October, Kunik of ficially gained a roster spot. He said he underestimated how much time collegiate baseball would take. Still, that’s not a bad thing for him. “I always have too much free time on my hands, so I’m ver y happy to at least be dedicating it toward something I really enjoy,” Kunik said. So far, he’s pitched in four games, ear ned one win and posted a 2.57 earned run average. “You’ll never hear him complain [if] he’s not pitching enough or wants more oppor tunities,” Anderson said. “He understands … what his role is, and he’s accepted that role in a very positive way.”
Plagued by quiet bats and defensive blunders Sunday, the No. 14 Minnesota softball team rebounded in style Tuesday, sweeping rival Iowa in a doubleheader. The Gophers won the first game 2-0, following another stellar pitching performance by senior Sara Moulton. They looked even better in the second game — a 7-0 skunk on the arm of freshman Sara Groenewegen. Those small miscues that hurt the team Sunday were nothing but distant memories by the time the doubleheader finished. And the Gophers’ offense that combined for just four runs in two games Sunday almost doubled that score in the second game Tuesday night. Minnesota head coach Jessica Allister said the explosive bats were the key to Tuesday’s sweep. “We know hitting can be a streaky thing,” she said, “and for a while it felt like we were in a slump. We busted out of that tonight.” That slump-buster came in the top of the sixth inning of Tuesday’s second game, when the Gophers exploded for six runs. Still, the offense wasn’t the only stor y of the afternoon for Minnesota, whose pitchers continued to dominate opponents. In the first game, Moulton came out firing and struck out six Hawkeyes en route to her 19th win of the season. Groenewegen wasn’t to be outdone, surrendering just three hits in her 12-strikeout performance. The Canadian freshman has now given up just five hits in her last 14 innings pitched. Together, the dynamic duo hasn’t given up an earned run in its last six games. Groenewegen said the success she’s having in the pitcher’s circle is the result of Moulton’s dominance. “[Moulton] pitches a lot of down balls, and I’m throwing stuff that comes
JAAK JENSEN, DAILY FILE PHOTO
Minnesota junior Sara Moulton pitches during a doubleheader against Wisconsin on Sunday, April 7, 2013, at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.
SOFTBALL RESULTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Minnesota Iowa
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
4
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
1
Minnesota Iowa
0
0
1
0
0
6
0
7
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
SOURCE: GOPHERSPORTS.COM
up more,” she said. “That makes it harder for teams to adjust from game to game and makes my job easier.” Groenewegen was coming off a two-hit, nine-strikeout per formance against Wisconsin on Sunday, a game that ear ned her a second consecutive Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honor as well as her first Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award. While Gr oenewegen said Moulton makes her job easier, junior infielder Kaitlyn Richardson said the dominant pitching makes her life as a hitter much easier, too. “When you know your
pitchers are going to shut down the opposing team,” she said, “it takes a lot of pressure off of the bats and lets you relax and be free at the plate.” And if Tuesday’s sixrun sixth inning is any indication, relaxed hitting is strong hitting for the Gophers, who earned their 30th ‘W’ of the season with the two victories. This weekend, the team will retur n home for a three-game series against Northwestern. “Northwestern is a heck of a team,” she said. “We’re going to need to be prepared and come out ready to play if we hope to beat them three times.”
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Classifieds
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EMPLOYMENT
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HELP WANTED— SOCIAL JUSTICE Canvassers needed to collect signatures to put police accountability measure on the ballot. Flexible hours, some evenings and weekends. Get paid to help stop police brutality. Contact 612-715-8784 or cfppmpls@yahoo.com
Exciting opportunity at a busy restaurant in uptown! Hourly plus tips. Need a clean driving record & able to drive a stick. Contact us candcvalet@gmail.com 612-224-6536
Personal Assistant Needed Hiring for a professor at the U of MN who needs a personal assistant beginning June 1st. Undergraduate students preferred. Near U of MN. Must have car. Email or call if interested for more info erinwigg@gmail.com, 9527976531
Landcare Student Worker Positions Available for immediate employment. Must be an undergraduate U of MN student. PT during the school year and FT employment the summer. Mon-Fri, Wed-Sun, Sat-Wed. 7:00 am -3:30 pm. Go to http://z.umn.edu/landcarestudent
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CLASSIC CITY APARTMENTS In Dinkytown/Stadium Village Now Accepting Applications for 2014 Rooms, Studios 1 BR, 2 BR, 3BR Units
3 BR for rent Newer Building Off-st. parking, 2 bath Call Jake: 612-750-9223
Buca di Beppo Job Fair - April 9th & 10th WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US FOR OUR TWIN CITIES AREA JOB FAIR!! WE ARE HIRING FOR ALL FRONT-OF-HOUSE AND BACK-OF-HOUSE POSITIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL, BURNSVILLE, EDEN PRAIRIE AND MAPLE GROVEJOIN US WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9TH & THURSDAY, APRIL 10TH FROM 1:00-3:30PM AT:COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT MINNEAPOLIS/BLOOMINGTON 7800 BLOOMINGTON AVENUE SOUTHBLOOMINGTON, MN 55425 We will be conducting on-the-spot interviews, so dress to impress and bring your resume!
4 BR for rent Newer Building Off-st. parking, 2 bath Call Jake: 612-750-9223
Call 612-623-1888 for appt. or Email: info@classiccityapartments.com Check out all properties at www.classiccityapartments.com WHY share a room when you can have your own apt?
Sandy Hill Apartments Large 2 br, large patio and gar, heat inc, avail now 2 mi east of St Paul campus www.sandyhillapartments.com 651-775-0511 If you would like to LEASE, let us know@dinkytownrentals.com Whatever you’re looking for, big or small, we should have it here. 2014 should be quite a year! 612-378-2413 dinkytownrentals.com
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Events
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UPCOMING EVENTS WHAT: Evening with novelist David Mitchell WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday WHERE: Northrop Auditorum PRICE: Free His writing has been compared to Tolstoy’s — but no, some argue, he’s more like Nabokov. Or is it DeLillo? In a 2010 feature, the New Yorker asked, “What can’t the novelist David Mitchell do?” Indeed, he’s written a coming-of-age novel (“Black Swan Green”), a sea adventure, dystopian science fiction (within his Hollywood-embraced puzzle book “Cloud Atlas”), historical fiction (his fifth and latest novel, “The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet”) and postmodern pastiche (his first novel, “Ghostwritten”) — all with impeccable prose, page-turning action, and all-too-human characters.
WHAT: Who Stole the American Dream? Can We Get It Back? WHO: Hedrick Smith, former New York Times reporter and editor WHEN: 3-4 p.m. Thursday WHERE: Humphrey School of Public Affairs PRICE: Free In a lecture based on his recent book “Who Stole the American Dream?” Smith will take us across America and show how seismic changes, sparked by a sequence of landmark political and economic decisions, have transformed America. He will describe how, over the four past decades, the American Dream has been dismantled and we have become divided into two Americas. Lastly, he will offer some ideas for restoring America’s great promise and reclaiming the American Dream.
WHAT: Coalesce WHO: University of Minnesota’s Student Dance Coalition HEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Studio 100, Barker Center for Dance PRICE: $6-12 University of Minnesota’s Student Dance Coalition presents the 2014 Student Choreography Showcase: Coalesce. Featuring choreography by Laura Osterhaus and Emma Barber, Megan Luken, Michael Lynch and Malcolm Peterson, Erin Coyne, Rachel Horner, and Carissa Ashly Logghe.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014
BACKTALK
horoscopes
sudoku
Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk.
4/9/2014`
Yesterday’s solution © 2013 Michael Mepham. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.
Today’s Birthday (4/9): It’s a lovely year for magnificent adventures. Spend time on detailed plans and set launch dates for after 5/20. Put energy into your home, friendships and partnerships this spring.
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Written By Linda C. Black
Aries (3/21 - 4/19): Today is a 7 — Now you’re cooking. Meditate on the desired flavors. Add spices as you slowly raise the heat.
Libra (9/23 - 10/22): Today is a 7 — Play with your community today and tomorrow. Focus on partnership and do what you promised. Together, anything’s possible.
Taurus (4/20 - 5/20): Today is a 6 — There’s more work ahead. Passions rise and could boil over if left untended. Consider a friend’s suggestion.
Scorpio (10/23 - 11/21): Today is an 8 — Consider new opportunities over the next two days. Discuss them with a partner. Review your resources and restock if needed.
Gemini (5/21 - 6/21): Today is a 7 — Explore new territory today and tomorrow. Follow the money trail and hit gold. A person of higher status can assist.
Sagittarius (11/22 - 12/21): Today is an 8 — Today and tomorrow include expansion. Plan a trip, widen your territory and broaden the focus of your studies.
Cancer (6/22 - 7/22): Today is a 7 — A new profitable opportunity arises before another project’s done. Make plans without taking action yet.
Capricorn (12/22 - 1/19): Today is an 8 — The tempo’s upbeat and you’re jamming. Find an area to increase efficiency and save energy. Trust a hunch. You’re gaining respect.
Leo (7/23 - 8/22): Today is an 8 — The Moon’s in your sign, favorably aspecting warrior Mars. You’ve got the power. Physical exercise works wonders and builds energy.
Aquarius (1/20 - 2/18): Today is an 8 — Devote energy to a partnership today and tomorrow. Reignite common passions and don’t unveil your secret power yet.
Virgo (8/23 - 9/22): Today is a 7 — Get organized with your plans today and tomorrow to manage your deadlines. Travel later. Contemplate your next move.
Pisces (2/19 - 3/20): Today is a 7 — The pace jumps with high energy today and tomorrow. Take care to avoid accidents. Throw some money at a problem.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
from the archive
Friday, April 9, 2004
BACKTALK
crossword 9
DAILY CROSSWORD
FOR RELEASE APRIL 9, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
From UsedGummer
How’s it going, Network? Yeah so, there has been vomit in front of Centennial Hall for about a week now and I’m thinking of starting a protest against it. We settled this land and we’re not going to sit back while this vomit tries take over our country, one campus at a time. Get off our land, vomit! For all the other vomit out there who thinks they can take us, I say “Bring ‘em on!” Oh, I’m back on the market, ladies. Here’s what I’m looking for in my dream girl. 1) Ugly, so nobody tries to steal her. 2) Big feet for good balance. 3) A clock necklace so I can ask her what time it is. 4) A kite for hours of fun. 5) A glass of water in case we get thirsty. I decided to conform a little and submit my own haiku. Clean up the vomit, salt water taffy is good, President Bush sucks. Peace. I’m outta here. Net: Flava vision ain’t blurry.
From Shark Fin Soup
Aloha Network! Net: Aloha Mr. Hand. Wow, I’m just pleased as punch! I decided to start reading Network this semester (I’m a first-year, sophomore standing), and it’s been the smartest decision of my life! I look forward to reading Network every day, well almost every day. I was especially excited to see the coverage of the Seven Deadly Sins and how Christians do not follow them. As a devout Catholic, as some people call me, it’s important that people know the Seven Deadly Sins so that they can avoid them and liave a pious life. However, you incorrectly named the Seven Deadly Sins as: Pride, Avarice, Sloth, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath and Lust. Were you not aware that Avarice and Greed are synonymous? Instead, you left out Envy. Which leads me to a point: How do Christians demonstrate Envy? Net: You know, it occurs to us that Avarice, Greed, Gluttony and Envy are all pretty similar. At the very HEY! SEND YOUR ENTRY, NAME & PHONE TO:
least, we can say that you rarely find one without all the others. How’s that for Jesuitical? But thanks for trying to teach Networkia about the Seven Deadly Sins. I applaud the effort. On a completely, unrelated topic, why doesn’t the Daily have horoscopes? How can the Daily consider itself a “real” newspaper without horoscopes? Maybe if the Daily had horoscopes everyone would be happy, and no one would ever complain about how much the Daily sucks. Also, have you ever tried to talk to someone who doesn’t know anything about astrology? It’s very frustrating, indeed. How can one not know what the twelve zodiac signs are? At the very least, Network, I think you should try to educate Networkia about astrology. Now, some of the readers at this point might be thinking, “Hey, this person’s Catholic, why is he promoting astrology?” Although I don’t believe in astrology and consider it a heathen practice, it’s important that everyone knows what sign they are. For example, I am a Gemini. Finally, if the Daily needs a person to write horoscopes, I know someone who is perfect for the job. He attended my high school, and after he was hit by a car, he started hearing voices. Rad, huh? Chow! Net: You know, if you ever get to Papist central, you might want to learn how to spell “ciao.”
From RussiaWithLove
Let me extend my love to all drivers who do not stop at bus stops to make their righteous point. To all ye who make masses of students late to classes and appointments: Thank you for caring and understanding. We, as the student body, would like to apologize for the assumption that you would know to stop the limited stop at Moos Tower when the bus is filled with people. Thank you for doing the right thing and taking them to St. Paul. Please accept my condolences for your lack of common sense. Net: Harsh.
NETWORK@MNDAILY.COM
Minnesota Daily Volume 105, Issue 127 April 9, 2004
ACROSS 1 Brief digression 6 Smidgen 10 Actress Andersson ACROSS 14 Designator 15 Continental 1 Lead-in for bird prefix or walk 16 __ avis 17 This puzzle's 4 Nervous and theme question irritable 20 Feels unwell 9 Thai cash 21 BPOE member 22 Sore points 13 Musician Turner 23 Baseball stat 24 Gallivant 14 Words Alice read 25 Membrane of on a cake grasses 15 Month in Madrid 27 Faucets 29 Thompson of 17 Waist bag "Family" 30 US radio 19 Once more service 20 “It’s __ bet”: “No 33 Realtor's risk” response to 21 Everlasting, to a 17A 37 Gloomy effect poet 38 Chemical suffix 22 Cal. entry 39 "Mockingbird" singer Foxx 25 Herbal remedy Principals' grad 40 Joker's for4 indigestion degrees response to 5 Stretchdishes of time 17A 27 Custard 6 English woods 45 Mach+ jet in covering NW 7 Corn 46 Durrell novel30 River 8 Novelist Levin France 47 British work 9 Gift for a kid schedule 31 “The Star10 __ Canyon 48 Jots Spangled National Park 50 Prohibition 11 Miner's e.g. reply to 51 Ref. to a time Banner,” 17A long passed 12 Scottish hillside 54 Abnormal 32 Countdown13 McKellen and swelling ending numero Woosnam 56 Beavers' barrier 33 Leveling wedge 18 Dough additive 57 Strip of wood 19 Language 58 Lifeguard's 37 Pen name of Kuala Lumpur response to 38 Renege 24 Fed. publishing 17A 41 Amin of Uganda service 62 Part of speech 25 Likevier some 63 Nitwit 42 Twice windows 64 Cranky 44 Word ofleader surprise 36 26 Nav. 65 Adder cousins 41 Accomplice 66 Make eyes at 45 __28Zee: area 29 Actress Braga 67 Up to where thecoma 42 43 31 Comma difference? DOWN Hudson River 44 32 Axlike tool 1 Sadat of Egypt widens 49 33 Univ. figures 2 Hindu title 34 Mahal Galley gear 47 Taj home 50 3 Contortionist's 35 __ alive! higher-52 reply to 17A49 Heavenly
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis
4/9/14 2 Alias, for short Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved 3 Hankering 4 They may be 53 Type of alcohol Julep done garnish by ones 54 Writer Ferber Based on eight Smallest teams End ofwho a fib?have55gone Serious story too far 56 Farmer's locale 57 Spotted Charged 5 Family nickname 59 Altar words particle 6 Support crews 60 Bug bomb Harbingers 61 Air-conditioner Sew 7 loosely Game show meas. Desert blooms personality ups, in 8 “__War”: Shatner Christianity series 50 Piece of Le 9 Defeated Creuset 10 49-Across, por cookware ejemplo 54 Chess piece 11 Soul partner 55 People with skill 12 Puzzle video 56 Place to store game with three valuables heroes 59 Station 16 Top draft status 60 Sense of humor 18 “Of course!” (c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 4/9/14 64 Old hat 21 Along the way 49 Verse segment 35 Snake River 65 Popeye creator 22 Red Sea port on 50 Hula Hoop et al. state Segar its own gulf 51 “Golden Boy” 36 Belarus capital 66 Type of museum 23 __ Wars: Rome dramatist 39 Tide type 67 Kane’s Rosebud, vs. Carthage 52 India neighbor 40 Roofer’s supply e.g. 24 Tuner’s concern 53 Small egg 43 Stage in a frog’s 68 Nobel-winning 26 Words to 57 Workbook life Irish poet Nanette? chapter 46 Medicare section 69 It may need a 28 Playboy 58 Strong alkalis for physician boost nickname 60 “30 Rock” star services 29 Political fugitives 61 Be indebted to 48 Destroyed the DOWN 32 Island 62 Pick on inside of, as a 1 Peanut butter instrument 63 Outer: Pref. building brand 34 River horse By Bernice Gordon
dr. date Dr. Date,
The guy I’m currently seeing acts really strange about money. He’s never shy to mention that he makes a decent salary, which bothers me. The weird thing is that he doesn’t really seem to be bragging, it just comes up in conversations in the same way that a vacation or a favorite TV show would. Also, he’ll sometimes insist on buying the bar a round, but he usually appears to be fishing for compliments when doing so, instead of doing it because he wants to be nice or knows the people. He’s always insisting on paying for me when we go out, too, even when the outing was my suggestion. But there’s a kicker. Behind closed doors, he’ll sometimes fret about bonuses at work and how much he’s got in the bank. I know that he grew up in a poor family, so maybe that plays into it somehow. How do I get him to calm down about his cash?
—Dollar Troubles
Mr. Moneybags,
Does he have a really ostentatious car? Does he wear flashy jewelry? Or is this not so much a matter of overt materialism? Regardless of family background, this is an annoying practice. Anybody who waxes on about the prices of their possessions, their lavish fiscal situation or anything along those lines immediately sounds like a total tool. I’ll tell you right now he’s not mentioning his salary just as some factoid — he’s bragging. (Or covering up for some deeper personal insecurity. Probably both.) Unfortunately, we live in a world that prioritizes wealth — and it seems like he took that memo pretty seriously. And hot darn, he whines about it behind closed doors? Does he have any redeeming qualities? This better be his only con in a laundry list of pros. Even if
that’s the case, I’d lean toward dropping him.
—Dr. Date
Dr. Date,
My friend is a serial dater. Every time I see her, she’s got someone new on her arm. She seems to fall in and out of love on a whim. I can’t keep them straight. I love her and wouldn’t worry about it if it didn’t keep her in constant emotional fits. She’ll call me one day ecstatic about her new beau, only to call the next day in tears because Johnny Generic didn’t text her back quickly enough. She was like this in high school, but it seems with Tinder and all the online dating options, she’s getting worse and worse. Is there anything I can do?
—Anonymous
Concerned Friend,
I’m assuming there’s a swirling vortex of reasons for your friend’s behavior. The biggest of these is likely commitment. I’m going to guess that she either had one long-term relationship where she got the crap end of the stick or that she developed a fear of being hurt sometime in childhood. But it sounds like she gets hurt anyway … and over the most benign relationship issues. This borderline irrationality is my biggest concern. I’m intrigued by your social media theory. You think she’s being “enabled” by these applications? I’d urge her to try her hardest to be single for a little bit, if only to have some time to clear her head without the interference of some random new “love.” If she’s all over her smartphone, similarly urge her to lay off for a sec and rediscover books or something. If none of this sounds doable, sometimes the only option is to embrace the crazy and wait for her to figure it out.
—Dr. Date
Need relationship advice? Email Dr. Date at drdate@mndaily.com.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2014